I love Sundays when we gather together at my Mom and Dad's house. We usually have a great big roast beef dinner with mashed potates and gravy, freshly baked rolls, vegetables from the summer's bounty (fresh or frozen, depending on the season), and, always, splendid and decadent desserts.
So, yesterday, after we cleaned the table of dirty dishes and put left-over food in the fridge, my little girls decided we needed to have a dance party. I was happy to oblige, even though I've been very sick with some long and heavy lung affliction. Needing an explosive opening for our dance-fest, we, of course, YouTubed our theme song, Katy Perry's "Firework." A niece in each of my arms, we three gyrated round the living room, singing "Baby, you're a firework! Come on, show'em what your worth!" at the top of our lungs, the girls throwing their heads back with smiles of glee. We danced and danced and danced. I called for anything that had a great groove (MIKA and Billy Joel and Shakira and Ricky Martin and Maroon 5), but the girls always wanted to go back to Firework. There's just something about it being our song, I guess.
Well, Uncle Nic eventually got pretty sweaty and pretty tired. I drank something like three glasses of water and the girls sat in front of the computer watching this:
I think Sweet Pea was quite surprised to see actual fireworks spurting from the chests of the people in the video. She just turned two years old, and symbolism is a bridge she has yet to cross. "Why are they doing that?" she asked.
"Well," I said, "that's kind of like the love in their hearts. It's a way they can show how much they love themselves and their friends and families."
"Like mine firework?" she gestured toward her own chest.
"Do you have a firework in there?" I bent down and also pointed to her chest.
My little Sweet Pea smiled and gestured again, "Yes, right in here. It's peeple (purple) firework. See it?"
"Yeah. I see it, Honey Girl," I replied.
Pretty Girl was up and dancing again and Sweet Pea decided to join her. I had to smile as I watched these two little, absolutely beautiful people spinning and dancing and laughing and singing with sheer joy to each other, "Make'em go-oh 'Oh! Oh! Oh!' as you shoot across the sky sky sky!" I taught them the song because it was a catchy tune, but it was really wonderful to see them learning some of the lessons the song teaches: Know where your heart is. Find things that bring you joy. Trust your light. Share the love you feel. Brighten the sky.
How I love me some Sweet Pea and Pretty Girl!
