Conversations With Journey

Yesterday Journey reminded me of the power of forgiveness and “getting over it”.

After day camp, Journey went outside to play with her friends. A few minutes later she came in the house with her head hung low and a scowl on her face.

Me: “What’s wrong?”

J: “I’m never playing with those girls again! I mean, I’m not playing with her again!”

Me: “What happened?”

J: “She was just rude! She told me, ‘It was nice knowing you – b-bye!'”

Me: “What did you do?”

J: “I said fine and walked away!”

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door – it was Journey’s friends asking her to play. She paused a minute and then whispered,

J: “Mom, what should I say? I don’t want to hurt their feelings?”

Me: “Tell them you have to get ready for dance class.”

J: “OK!”

Me: “I thought you were never playing with them again?”

J: “No! I said I was never playing with them again until I was over this! Now, I’m over it. I just needed time to think about it.”

Me: “OK….”

Oh to be a child again – to be able to just get over it when our feelings are hurt, forgive, and move on. One of the many lessons my child teaches me each day.

Last night, Journey reminded me of the importance of creating a better work/play balance.

Me: “Journey, you need to spend less time on your iPad watching YouTube.”

Journey: “You need to spend less time working.

Me: “I’ll work on that as soon as I get these two papers finished.”

Score 1 Journey, Score O Mom

From Conversations with Journey (July 15, 2014)

J: “Tell me about your boyfriends when you were little.”
Me: “I didn’t have any.”
J: “Why? Didn’t they think you smelled too good?”
Me: “I guess that’s why.”
J: “Was daddy your boyfriend?”
Me: “Yes.”
J: “Did you find the perfect one?”
Me: “I guess so.”

Reflecting on a post from July 15, 2014:

Today I locked eyes with a man sporting a Nazi tattoo on his leg and an iron cross tattooed on the side of his face. It was a harsh reminder that racism is alive and well in my own backyard. Just to be clear – I encounter racism and prejudice in subtle (and not so subtle) ways most weeks, but it’s really hard to shake it off when it’s so blatant and in your face – especially when your young child is standing next to you.

As Journey grows older, I wonder how I will handle conversations with her about the evils of racism and prejudice? I cringe at the thought of how she will feel the first time she looks this type of evil in the eye and I am not there to protect her.

My child’s toys are scattered across our house and she has the nerve to ask, “Mom, did you just randomly put my toys away? (throwing her hands up in the air) Randomly? Really Mom? Really?”

In my defense, I did ask her multiple times to help clean up, so yeah, I randomly put them away. Score 1 Mom, Score O Journey!

This photo was taken 3 years ago (July 14, 2014) at the Museum of Life + Science (https://www.lifeandscience.org) in Durham, NC. For me, this photo captures the essence of childhood – the ability and willingness to walk into the unknown with wild abandon and utter joy.

(From July 13, 2016)

Conversation with Journey as she attempted to vacuum the living room rug…

Journey: “Mom, just go in the other room. When you come back you will be so amazed. Really!”

Me: “Really?”

I was amazed when I walked back into the living room only to find Journey on the floor underneath the vacuum, yelling, “Help, I’m trapped!”

Journey commenting on a character in the movie “Sing”:

“I don’t know if he’s in heaven. My prediction is he just moved.”