"If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it."

It is true that I spend just about every waking moment in the presence of my darling two year old daughter.  And even though this is a fact, I don't always see her.  I acknowledge her rude-sounding demands for cheese and juice.  I scold her for putting the cat in a headlock and for scribbling all over my bedsheets with a permanent orange marker.  I scoop her into my arms when things have not gone her way and she collapses in a puddle on the kitchen floor, but I do not, in fact, always see her.

And so today, after multiple attention-seeking, naughty behaviors had irritated me to my core, I looked and found a little person who needed to be seen.  I also found a little person who has suddenly developed a very vivid imagination, and this little person was a rather wonderful companion for the afternoon.

This afternoon I spent a bit of time looking out the window at reindeer.  At first I strained my eyes searching for the actual deer that often trot through our woods, and I could not see them, but Lili insisted, stabbing her impatient index finger at the glass, "A REINDEER!!  A REINDEER!!  It's RIGHT THERE!"  I re-focused, and immediately saw that proud creature pawing at the snowy ground.  Wow.  I was in awe.

Next we fed pretzels and bananas to a small dinosaur and convinced him that it was a good idea to share his snacks and toys.  Then we read and discussed several Charlie and Lola books, played catch with a wadded up Kleenex, and rubbed our heads together as we giggled.  And then the most amazing thing of all happened.  I saw her.  I saw my daughter.  I became conscious of the little girl who is making sense of the world around her and creating even better imaginary worlds in her beautiful little brain.  And I felt moved to say, "Wow!  I really love you, Tyrone!"  since that was the name she insisted upon being called at that moment, "And," I added, "I love the person you are becoming."

So I am grateful that I was able to stop for while today and witness my youngest daughter becoming the next version of herself.  I am glad that I was able to spend some time in her world, which is much more colorful and playful than mine.