This weekend the girls were drawing. Phoebe finished her picture and moved on to something else; I saw Mallory lean over and write something on Phoebe's paper. I went over and read this:
"Not Phebe's best werk."
Mallory loves writing. Every day before she goes to school, she says, "Oh, I hope we write sentences today!" Some examples:
"When I am 7 years old I will take a pony lessen."
"I want to have long hair like a mermaid."
"In 100 years I would be a dokter for little kids."
"I love my mom and my dad and I like my dog and my cat." ("This one isn't true because we don't really have a cat," she explained later.)
"My mom and my daddy and my sister and I went to eat at Red Robin and we came home and had ice cream."
"A mail truck is a truck and a fire truck is a truck."
And, this almost poetic description of a painting: "My little flower, pretty and red in the sun."
I told her that maybe she'll be a writer when she grows up. She gasped and said, "I can do that?" I said sure, and that in fact, when I was a little girl I'd wanted to be a writer when I grew up. She said, "Well then, why aren't you?
Why indeed.
Really, there are lots of reason -- can't make a living writing, don't have time to focus on it, don't have any great ideas -- but I think the true reason is tied in to last week's "Zero" post. I'm afraid to fail; therefore, I often don't try things that I believe I will fail in doing. Which explains a lot about my current job and lots of other things about my life, too, sadly enough.
I'm still looking to accomplish my "best werk." Maybe someday I'll get there, or at least have the courage to try.
"Not Phebe's best werk."
Mallory loves writing. Every day before she goes to school, she says, "Oh, I hope we write sentences today!" Some examples:
"When I am 7 years old I will take a pony lessen."
"I want to have long hair like a mermaid."
"In 100 years I would be a dokter for little kids."
"I love my mom and my dad and I like my dog and my cat." ("This one isn't true because we don't really have a cat," she explained later.)
"My mom and my daddy and my sister and I went to eat at Red Robin and we came home and had ice cream."
"A mail truck is a truck and a fire truck is a truck."
And, this almost poetic description of a painting: "My little flower, pretty and red in the sun."
I told her that maybe she'll be a writer when she grows up. She gasped and said, "I can do that?" I said sure, and that in fact, when I was a little girl I'd wanted to be a writer when I grew up. She said, "Well then, why aren't you?
Why indeed.
Really, there are lots of reason -- can't make a living writing, don't have time to focus on it, don't have any great ideas -- but I think the true reason is tied in to last week's "Zero" post. I'm afraid to fail; therefore, I often don't try things that I believe I will fail in doing. Which explains a lot about my current job and lots of other things about my life, too, sadly enough.
I'm still looking to accomplish my "best werk." Maybe someday I'll get there, or at least have the courage to try.
Comments
I believe you will accomplish your best work someday. :)
And wow, Mallory is a great writer. You keep telling her she can do whatever she wants (whether that is a dokter or a writer) and she'll know she can do anything.
I think that your best work is inside you - just have the courage to release it.
Mom