WELCOME TO MY "OTHER" BLOG!

If you are coming from Building Heavenly Bridges (BHB), WELCOME and if you are finding me for the first time and looking for support after a loss, then please check me out at my grief/loss blog!



This blog is a series of anecdotes from our life after losing our first child, a stillborn daughter, then going on to birth the two other lights of our lives!

Bear is 6: serious, organized, my cruise director and my time keeper.

The Comedian is 4: She is pure comedy always doing something unintentionaly funny that I attempt to put into words.

Enjoy our stories, conversations, and delights as we embrace the lives of our second and third daughters without ever negating our first.

Children's Widsom - Quote of the week...

Children's Widsom - Quote of the week...
"I Wish Emma Was Alive Because I Would Tell Her Where The Bathroom Is"

Friday, April 3, 2009

The currency of childhood

"No Comedian. Grampa will only give you one dollar and you can't buy anything for just one dollar."

This is the sentence that grabbed my attention in the backseat this morning. A myriad of responses, even though the girls weren't actually talking to me - or asking for my input on the value of a dollar, went through my head.

Let's back up...the conversation that is.

BEAR - "Mom, is today library program?'

ME - "No, it's music day and just so you are aware, I don't think there will be any library program next week because the book fair is coming." (read: that evil flash-it-in-front-of-kids-all-day-long-so-as-to-tempt-them-beyond-reason-AND-guilt-parents-into-buying-something event)

BEAR - drawing in quick breath, already tempted

COMEDIAN - "Oooooooo - the boooook fair!" (I'm pretty sure she has no idea what excitement this is supposed to hold...but she felt it take over the back seat.)

BEAR - "Mom! Mom! I want to buy something at the bookfair. I really do. I really do!"

ME - "Well, you have been saving up your money so you can use that if you would like to."

BEAR - "Yeah! I have lots of dollars."

COMEDIAN - (who is a spender and a giver - not a saver) "But, it's ok, because Grampa will give me he's money and I can buy something at the bookfair."

BEAR "No Comedian. Grampa will only give you one dollar and you can't buy anything for just one dollar."

She's right you know. You really can't, with the exception of certain packs of gum that make me want to break into a twin-based song or a sl.im jim perhaps. Ok, some gas stations still offer a cup of small coffee for 99cents, but not many.

I recall as a child the wonderous ability to buy four, yes 4 candy bars for the all-mighty one dollar.

My father can trump that, I'm sure with his tales of a corner grocery store in the 1950's.

To hear me, or my dad, or anyone else with a generational history tell the 'when I was a kid' tales woeing the rising cost of living seems, appropriate - sad, but historically consistent at least.

To hear a six year old with five dollars and change saved up in a special box daddy made her and a semi-solid grasp on the names of the actual coins say, "you can't buy anything for just one dollar" with such conviction - worries me.

We have more than enough. We eat well. We play well too. We have each other. We have 'stuff' and we have experiences.

I want that to be enough for my kids. I need them to understand the value of life, not worship the green stuff.

*sigh* -

4 comments:

Kristin said...

Its so hard to balance reality with wanting to keep them young and innocent. {{{Hugs}}}

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

It's amazing how the concept/amount of money has changed for children.

..al said...

You know, you should feel good about Bear's sense of money and what it can possibly by. She will be good with her finances.

The concept of money has changed, because what can be bought for the same amount today is lesser to what could have been purchased when we were kids....

We always look at what 'we' did. But today's kids are born with an extra gene for wisdom and seem to become street-smart faster than us.

Bear and Comedian have wonderful parents. I am sure money won't go to their heads. :)

..al said...

possibly buy - end of the first line.