18 Jul Uniquely Her Own
Emma and I sat in the waiting room of the orthodontist’s office, the clock ticking slowly, each minute seeming to drag longer than the last. The magazines were old, the movie playing on the TV screen uninteresting, the toys uninspiring. Emma shifted in her chair; her restlessness palpable.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a small lined notebook and a pencil. I caught her eye and smiled. “How about we write a story together?” I suggested. Emma perked up immediately.
I wrote the first line:
“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a girl who received a note inviting her on a big adventure…”
I paused, leaving the sentence hanging with a trail of dots. Emma’s eyes widened with excitement. She leaned in, her brow furrowing in concentration as she began to write. The pencil danced across the page, her small hand moving swiftly as her imagination took flight.
As she wrote, I watched her face light up with creativity. She paused occasionally to ask me how to spell a tricky word or to share a particularly exciting plot twist.
By the time our appointment was called, Emma had filled a few pages. She looked up at me, smiling, as she followed the dental assistant to a reclined chair for her exam.
I sat next to her and, with her permission, read her story. It unfolded with twists and turns I hadn’t expected: the girl was a leader, navigating confidently through challenging terrain, helping people (and talking animals) she encountered along the way, and stopping to marvel at interesting things she found, like a curious flower growing out of a rock. Emma described the girl with such vivid detail that I couldn’t help but think she was crafting not just a story, but a reflection of who she is and wants to become—brave, compassionate and full of wonder.
I had laid the foundation with a simple story starter, and she had built on it, making it hers. My initial idea was still there, but it was Emma who brought it to life.
This is what I want as a parent: to give my children the tools and the beginnings and to see them take those foundations and make something uniquely their own.
Some of my influence might peek through, but the story, the journey, is theirs.