Beauty And The Beast

We were working on her homework when she just got up from the bed and walked away.
I waited a minute and looked up to see where she went and saw that she had taken one of the three red roses she had in a vase by her bed and started cutting the stem pretty short.  (Where do these spontaneously sporadic actions come from?!")   We were working on a math worksheet!

(These were the ones in another part of the house.)

I, in my best, jump-to-conclusions-and overreact-any-chance-you-get-mothering-Beast-self (that I am ashamed to say dominated my parenting) said, "I don't know if you want to cut that off because if it's too short it can't get any water and will die."  (That was a useless thing to say because it was already cut by then.) (The disturbing part is I was at a nanny job and still was acting in my old role without hesitation or thought!)

She, in her stellar, I-am-just-going-to-ignore-what-you-just-said-Beauty-self said, "Here, Ms. Reyna, this is for you!", as she handed me a tiny vase filled with water, one red rose, some Baby's breath and a leaf (I know it has some official name... and probably isn't a leaf at all but stay focused).  (What child has a perfect size 3 1/2 inch glass vase right there in their bedroom?)

BEAST: I am worried that she's going to "ruin" the flowers and they will be wasted and unable to be enjoyed.  And they are expensive, beautiful red roses!  Who gets those very often? so we need to "preserve" them.  Cutting them up is not a very good idea! 


BEAUTY:  These are beautiful and should be shared with people whom I care about!  Here, I will just stop in the middle of doing the trivial, mundane stuff (such as homework), not worry about if its logical or a perfect presentation or that I will have less, and just go act on this good feeling I have right now.  See, wasn't that easy?  And look how happy it made her!!

This Beast can sure learn a lot from Beauty here.  
Maybe if I didn't worry so much about "stuff" and looked beyond material things, I would act more often on the pure motivation; of sharing kindness and love, thus not getting so caught up, that I miss the moment completely.


How beautiful a day can be
When kindness touches it!
~George Elliston


Flowers whisper "Beauty!" to the world, even as they fade, wilt, fall.  ~Dr. SunWolf, professorsunwolf.com   

I Have Tesseroo

Dialing the number on the dog tag around her neck, the man said, "I have Tesseroo."
He described over his phone in detail how she had come into his possession and went on about how sweet and cute and well-behaved she was. 


When he finally took a breath and inquired as to how to make arrangements for returning her, the person on the other end asked, "Who is Tesseroo?"

Double checking the number the man apologized, realizing he was one number off when dialing.

Is it only me or have any of you ever gone on and on about something only to find out later that you were "off by one number"?

Unfortunately for me it isn't a stranger's lost dog that I'm wrong about.
That would be acceptable. 

It is usually someone I know well or think I do.
I think I am so sure that I know them that I give detailed descriptions of my side/my version of how it appears to me without stopping long enough to breathe and ask if it is even accurate.
When I am done I'm off by so many numbers it's become an international call!


I had found the dog but did not have the means to make the call, so a man across the street from where I was walking helped me.
As I stood there listening to him, it was much easier and more apparent for me to see that he might be off track as he kept talking.
Why is that?!


"Tesseroo" is now the new code word for making sure I have all the facts correct before making assumptions that I am right.

Maybe I can get my own tag to hang around my neck as a reminder?
 
....Just in case I get lost?


"Begin challenging your own assumptions.  Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in."  ~Alan Alda