I was in the process of writing a post about escalating frustration when I received a call from my 4-year-old niece, Keara, who invited me and Grammy and Grampy to the circus. As usual, she put a new spin on my thoughts.
Here is a bit of Keara wisdom:
(1) It’s okay to pet elephants, but you must do it quickly.
(2) Sometimes, there aren’t elephants, only giraffes and Elmo.
(3) Any meltdowns that occurred in the parking lot the previous year cannot be held against a person when she was only three at the time.
The root of the frustration that I had been ready to express is mainly about ensuring that today’s pre-schoolers grow up with the motivation and infrastructure and freedom to work toward a life in which they can call their loved ones in another state, talk about whatever they think is important, and go to the circus sometimes to get their mind off Uzbekistan and Washington and Wall Street.
Keara told my parents she has been saving her money for the tickets and that she’s been waiting a whole year. I think she already knows more about fiscal responsibility than half of the adults on the news.
Author Krista Tibbs 