Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Shine


Those old songs
take me back
to the 60's
when I wanted
so badly 
to shine,
to be noticed,
found worthy.

We should tell our children
early and often
that simply being
who they are
is shine enough.

This morning, there were tunes from the early 60's playing. How it took me back to that gawky, freckled, pony-tailed twelve year old who was so the opposite of cool.  Made me remember what Mya Angelou says about the Parent Face, critical, that children see so often. She asked "Do your eyes light up when your child walks into the room?" And the nanny in the movie The Help, who tells the little girl: "You is smart. You is special. You is important." 

4 comments:

  1. Absolutely agree, and maybe that is why I often go back and listen to that music. Much of it had a strong positive message.

    Elizabeth

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  2. When I think of my mother's face when I was small, I invariably remember her suspicious, what-have-you-done-now look. She certainly took no joy in me or ever made me think that I was anything but lacking and wrong. Then again, I don't think she took joy in anything at all back then.

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  3. Yes! I was there with you in the early 60s, remembering how painful it was to feel so outside of everything that was cool.

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