Imagination…it comes so natural when we are kids, almost second nature. Case in point, my daughter had a friend over this last night, as she does most weekends, and when I walked in their room, they were dancing on the bed as matching pirates. They had used my eyeliner to make black eyes, and had torn some spare red fabric to create matching bandanas. Oh, to be nine again…no worries in the world.

My type A mother personality tends to see situations like this and think about wasted fabric and who knows what the rest of that black eyeliner stick looks like, and did you get any of it on the comforter?

Gracious! What is wrong with me?

A few months ago, I had the privilege of hearing Steven Curtis Chapman go acoustic at a friend’s backyard barbeque. That night absolutely changed my life. If you haven’t kept up with him since his Christian smash hits of the 80’s and 90’s (which I hadn’t), his life story is very powerful. He and Mary Beth adopted three precious baby girls from China. Then almost two years ago, the youngest daughter, Maria, was accidently and tragically killed in a car accident with their son at the wheel. Most of us can’t imagine the grief that they have gone through, but when I met him recently, I got a glimpse. I also was stretched to more fully understand the love and mercy of our Savior and how hope lives on.

He wrote a song Cinderella that was a big hit a few years ago. After the death of Maria, it took on a whole new meaning. The link above is a tribute to her from his perspective.

Which brings me to the point of this blog…let’s let our kids be kids. Let’s encourage them to make messes with play-doh, paint, pull out all of the dress up clothes…let’s let them be loud, play the drums, dance on the bed, tear old fabric and use our makeup. Because even if their childhood years don’t end tragically, they will most certainly end quickly.  Our Cinderellas (or in my case Jack Sparrows) are only with us a short time…dance with them.