Finger shoved far up his nose, Ezra said, "pea."
"Um. Ezra, did you stick a pea up your nose?" My interrogative was insufficient for a response I did not want to hear. And, the smile spreading between my twenty-month-old's cheerful cheeks brought me dismay.
A cooked pea connotes squishiness. Consider the softness of pea soup, for example. But, I have learned that a cooked pea shoved relentlessly up a nose by a toddler intent on discovery does not imply friability. Instead, that pea was like a hard pebble lodged perfectly just out of reach to everyone but a trained specialist, who swaddled my son and hooked it out whole.
Stubborn pea! But, then I'm reminded of stubborn me. How often do I intentionally exert my own preferences over the benefit or desires of others? Do you empathize, friend? Do you, too, want to peel away that sticky layer of pertinacity?
Admission is a good first step. Perhaps these need to be baby steps to learn that we shouldn't stick our own assumptions into everyone else's estimations. I guess my toddler and I have a lot in common, but that doesn't mean I plan on sticking a pea up my nose anytime soon.
"Um. Ezra, did you stick a pea up your nose?" My interrogative was insufficient for a response I did not want to hear. And, the smile spreading between my twenty-month-old's cheerful cheeks brought me dismay.
A cooked pea connotes squishiness. Consider the softness of pea soup, for example. But, I have learned that a cooked pea shoved relentlessly up a nose by a toddler intent on discovery does not imply friability. Instead, that pea was like a hard pebble lodged perfectly just out of reach to everyone but a trained specialist, who swaddled my son and hooked it out whole.
Stubborn pea! But, then I'm reminded of stubborn me. How often do I intentionally exert my own preferences over the benefit or desires of others? Do you empathize, friend? Do you, too, want to peel away that sticky layer of pertinacity?
Admission is a good first step. Perhaps these need to be baby steps to learn that we shouldn't stick our own assumptions into everyone else's estimations. I guess my toddler and I have a lot in common, but that doesn't mean I plan on sticking a pea up my nose anytime soon.
If you stick a pea up your nose, I will be very upset with you!
ReplyDeleteWe all have things that we do to ourselves that then cost us a great deal to move beyond. I think that Ezra learned something from the experience :), at least I hope he did! We just have to learn from ours as well. I think that sometimes Ezra's lesson is the easier one! We're so much more stubborn!
Another reason for me not to like peas!! Hmmm . . . or should I give peas a chance? ;) We all might be better off if we give peas a chance.
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