Intermission: Wood Chips

I wanted to share with you one of the most valuable lessons my daughter taught me when he was sixteen months old. I call this essay "Cherish Your Wood Chips."

Today was one of those days where I could not do enough. No matter how many times my pen an entry-off to-do-list - a new scratch seemed to appear. But you, Samantha, had nothing on the agenda.

At sixteen months Your days are usually pretty free. I sat in my home office, punching routinecomputer keys, and you came to my office door. You had your coat draped over his head, looked like a green goblin.

"Samantha, we can not go outside today. First, it is cold, and secondly, I'm too much on my plate." One of your blue eyes peered from questioning under the green cloak. Then he went and opened the door. I realized that the work was in vain - they wanted to go play.

I looked at my watch if we hurry back in thirty minutes,sufficient time to meet your needs with the outside world, without disturbing
with my needs in the world.

Together, hand in hand we walked to the park was ready to take your favorite swing. Instead, fell into a pile of wood chips. I watched half of it with wonder and half in frustration, as you put each of the microscope. Turning. Tasting. To hear.

I heaved a sigh and is also on a bar low Monkey do not have time to think, I. Inot the words to say - but Samantha, who had brought a swing here. I was brought here to play. And since chips look just - I thought about the possibility that this time could be better spent. My To-do-list ran through my head: Change the laundry, answer emails, pre-pub edition obtain respond to the galleys of Eric, Ken end marketing campaign, send school kits.

I let out another sigh and tried to pick you up and take home less than a boyapproached. I watched as he ran towards him excited. It seems there every proud - each beautiful wood shavings.

The boy smiled, as it was a holiday, as it has accepted all bids. If your hands are empty, rushed back again.

The boy continued to smile. She was with her grandmother - and while they stopped for your Exchange sixty-second, then pushed him along and said: "We need to get on the swing, so get back and finish dinner."

He saw the boySwing. It was like a silent communication. He knew that he would prefer to play with the chips.

After about ten minutes on the swing and a few glances at his watch, caught the boy's grandmother and began the descent home. Her eyes followed him - and Samantha do not have a poker face - she was sad. She plopped back into wood chips and began to pick it up. One at a time. They had dinner fix. They were not even hungry. The only thing that was importantwood chips and someone else could understand his splendor.

I was a bit 'sad when i saw. At some point you need to prepare dinner, it is possible that your children, look after the park, to do laundry, or a leader to be expected. Somewhere, somehow learn the limits of our world. But not today.

Ever since I saw you, I knew I could, as his grandmother, and pull the magical land of wood chips and will bring you back to the world of time andResponsibility. But at that moment I knew that I needed wood chips.

So I went near you. I plunged on the back, with bright clothes - into a pile of wet wood chips muddy, and in your jeans, Kneeling, I gave no attention.

We have the chips in a chain. We built a tower. We put down our shirts. We played with them for capture. We made pizza. We introduced ourselves to say what they would do if you could talk. We smiled and madesmiled back.

People around the park, hot wine, and their dog on the walk ten minutes jogging, skipping along its thirty minutes. I'm sure thought we were crazy.

If the next time I look at my watch, two hours had passed. We both had wood chips and mud in our hair on our clothes, but we do not think has ever been beautiful.

He stood ready to go home. And I took her hand and we walked together.

When we got home - I pulled out a pen andPaper and in big black letters, I wrote: "Keep your wood chips." I logged into my daily planner, just in front of my to-do list.

Samantha, when I woke up this morning, I did not know, I'd say I hand one of the secrets of happiness. When I woke up this morning, I did not understand the value of a heater chip.