My daughter collects “sparkles” like it is a rare currency. These sparkles, as she calls them, are an array of red, blue, green or yellow shapes of flowers, circles and hearts. In her pre-school playground, they are littered outside in various places, under the swings, on the slides, and in the sand. I suspect they catch the eye of most young children, the reflection of the glisten too irresistible for them. My guess is that the teachers buy these “sparkles” at the local craft store and color the playground with them, an inexpensive way to keep four year olds busy.
When she comes home from school, her fingers are closed in a fist, while my eye catches a glimpse of one blue sparkle trying to wriggle its way out of her sweaty palms.
As she sits down in her car seat, she says to me “Momma, I brought something for you.”
I play along and say, “What?”
Her eyes are open wide, like she wants to give the whole world to me, and she says,
“They are SPARKLES! So many of them. And you know what Momma, I love you so muches.”
She then opens her fists and pours these tiny bits of little love currencies in my hand.
I feel the love as the rainbow of sparkles are transferred from her fingers to mine.
And I can’t help but sparkle a little too.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Oh that’s so sweet, and you know what? *I* could probably be kept amused for hours looking for those pretty sparkles. 🙂
sweet moments!!!! I love it…
I love the things our children collect. My daughter painted tiny playground rocks with nail polish. I have dozens of them. They are my currency of her childhood, riches I’ll never part with. You’ve touched on what makes us truly rich.
Lovely moment. Everything they do – no matter how big or small, dull or shiny – affects us in some way doesn’t it?
Rudri this is such a beautiful tale of something so wondrously sweet that your daughter does. I just loved reading it. I would be sparkling every day too – what a lovely greeting after school.
Oh how sweet! I know you will cherish these priceless moments. Before you know it sparkles give way to the next thing, and sparkles are ever so shiney and irresistible!
Love love love this. I just adore how little children can marvel at the tiniest things in life. I spend my days as a nanny and the little girl is always picking up the smallest trinkets and giving them to me as if they were gold. And to her I suppose they are…
Best,
Hannah Katy
I love this! What a wonderful way to be greeted at the end of the day. I love this: “pours these tiny bits of little love currencies in my hand.” It’s so beautiful and made me sparkle too!
Spectacular! I wish sparkles were in here, instead I get rocks and dirty. A treasure nonetheless I suppose, depending on your perspective.
So sweet of Nanu to share those sparkles with you!
I love how they just appreciate and see the beauty in such simple things. So sweet.
“Love currency.” What could be better? This is sweet stuff, Rudri.
How sweet! This is a good reminder to look for the simple pleasures in life!
Love this post! Love this age! And I teared up when I read, “I love you so muches.” Beautiful.
“I love you so muches!” That is precious. And so is her collection of sparkles.
Sigh.
This is so beautifully written.
Those simple moments are the best.
What a lovely, sweet moment.
I’ll bet you do! Her words sparkle (and then yours do, too.). My son has just discovered how much fun it is to say “I have a SURPRISE for you!” and his excitement at making me happy really is a gift.
I’m so charmed by this. They have that instinct to show love and find the sweetest way to express it.