scribblechic

I confess, I bought into glossy magazine images and clever advertising campaigns bearing false promises of happiness.  Wish list items earmarked for special days, gifts for my children, were wrapped in anticipation of frantic hugs and declarations of love.  A wish fulfilled gave an illusion of happiness.  Suspended between perpetual anticipation and celebration, it took me a while to recognize disappointment beneath this exchange.  The wish list items were quickly forgotten and momentary joy faded into new expectations.

When I stopped participating in this familiar pattern, my perspective became clearer and I saw my children more fully. My son finds joy using familiar tools in new ways.  My daughter similarly seeks out creative expression with eclectic pieces of broken toys and art tools.  Imagination is their greatest resource and their own standard of creativity priceless against the backdrop of mass-produced, commercial standards.

I must acknowledge there are pieces of technology, tools, and toys that spark new challenges and inspire unexplored story lines for imaginative play.  These items I have begun to identify more clearly as items to anticipate, stretching out the wish to encompass the larger concept of earning; instant gratification replaced with an investment of effort that lends accomplishment to attainment.  Sometimes it is better to want than to receive.

Wishing something bigger for my children than singular moments of temporary joy I am embracing the beauty of a dream.  I am celebrating effort as empowering and nurturing independent definitions of happiness, my own joy unfolding as my children discover the lessons behind my efforts.

Tagged: Creativity, Gifts, Toys