A paradigm changing moment

Lil' Miss M loves to sing. I found her the other day in her own recording room on stage singing into the mic. Some of the less creative souls in the world would call the aforementioned a pantry, a barstool and a broom but not Lil' Miss M. Her world is wonderful because it's filled with limitless possibilities.

Last week I spent the morning cleaning and organizing. I thought she was watching a movie but no: she was off on an adventure! The black video tapes (which had all been removed from their cases) lined up in a row were actually a road on the side of her mountain range/pile of couch cushions; her constant companion "blue blanket," was playing along and acting as her lake. It sounds wonderful now, but at the time - after cleaning all morning, I thought it was just another mess for me to clean, and unfortunately for her and for me, I (a.k.a. "less creative soul") ruined the fun and picked it all up. And while I cleaned, I angrily told her I was so frustrated because I had to clean up "just another 'Lil Miss M mess.'" She slumped her shoulders, walked into her room and cried. I went on with my cleaning frenzy.

Ten minutes later, Lil' Miss M skipped happily out of her room and began chatting with me as if nothing had happened. I couldn't believe it. She wasn't in the least bit hurt or angry or sad. Although I had been a focused, semi-angry, cleaning fanatic, my thought process changed immediately and radically, and a scripture came to my mind: we must become as children - "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19, Book of Mormon, page 153). Lil' Miss M personified that for me in that instant. She wasn't bitter about her fun being taken away, she wasn't whiney or mopey or angry at me. She just accepted what happened and moved on. I was amazed. Literally, I was amazed that right then, I got it. I understood, in that moment, via Lil' Miss M, what I was supposed to be like. I looked at her differently then (and still now): she's not just my mess-making, fun-loving, happy, loves-no-matter-what daughter. She is my teacher. And it's so interesting now to have a shift in paradigm because I keep looking at her ... waiting to be taught.

(pics taken 01/29/2010)