she could give them a run

Last night at dinner my four year-old niece quickly began reciting grace. And this is what she said, "God made the stars and God made the trees. God made the moon and the food and God I love me." We cracked up. And she had no idea why. I wish so many times that I could go back and be as innocent as she. Sometimes I wish for her naivete, her newness, her chance to make it right.

Then tonight, my four year-old niece dictated this to me:

Fluff the
fish and make
the butter and
turn around the
flower. Drop the
flowers. Drop the
salad and fluff it
all up. Chop
the chicken.

I think we might have a budding language poet on our hands. I think John Ashbury should be scared to lose his mark.

As I left she stood with her younger sister in the doorway of their house and in between the "I love yous" and "Come back Annie" she gave me her poem and said, "You can read it when you feel lonely." Maybe she's not so innocent afterall and maybe she was put in my life for a reason. I love the living daylights out of her. She could give us all a run for our money.