Ella Anika

(Thought-Random)

        She climbs up on my lap as I type away on my computer,  this lovely little 4-yr old of ours - the live wire at home..... some of the family call her Ella, I call her Anika.  Because she sweetly asks, May I please use your computer?, and in order to escape the towel of kisses that now wipe my face and the tight arms around my neck that threaten my life, I promise to give her my computer after this.

        I like to think of how fast her mind associations go. Like one time she just comes to me with a sheet of facial tissue and asks for a flag out of it.  Well a soda straw she just used is close at hand so it serves; -this, on which to glue her tissue.  The easiest to print on a facial tissue would be just a red solid circle on the middle of it and presto, the Japanese flag! She happily takes it and waves it around.  I say you should also shout 'Banzai'! And she does.

        A couple of days afterwards, she comes upon me on facebook and notices the profile pic of  my friend.  It is a nice shot of the sunset - the redish sun smack right in the middle of the frame.... and she comments: Why that's a little Banzai! :)

        But a couple of days earlier, we were in Virginia- in Lexington, to bring one of her sisters back to school at Washington and Lee University.  At one spare time I was enjoying with her as we soaked in the sights of the university campus, I pointed out to her one of the brick buildings that filled it up saying, Hey Anika, look at this brick house.. just lovely no? And she positions herself just a little closer to the wall and starts to huff, and puff, and huff, and puff... but she couldn't blow the house down!!!! LOL!.

        And today at Borders where I whiled away some time  (and missed Erin a lot) -after mentoring a toastmaster colleague on her speech,  Anika and her mom came to fetch me.  At once her new look arrested my attention.  She now dons a pixie look... her hair cut short sweetly becomes her, I realized....

         .....in comparison to her once long hair.....

           ..... cut just some inches shorter for the summer.....

         And now - as I inspect her hair cut, I discover the jagged edge of her hair line..... She just cut her own hair with her scissors! Bing volunteers the info..... She was supposed to be cutting colored paper!!!!  :(

        Much earlier than Virginia in Massachusetts, though  - in Wrentham,  for this spiritual retreat Erin and I made at the St. Mary's Abbey, this time she couldn't help imitating the sisters at prayer........

      .....so devoutedly.....

        ..... and wanted to make sure that.......

        ......."Was my picture taken yet?! :)

        Well, once upon a time,  monastic life intensely touched my thoughts and aspirations. I tried to assess my person in its totality in conjunction with a contemplative way of existence. I still fondly remember the people and the circumstances that played a role in this segment of my life.   But I took up the marital vows instead and would like to think  I certainly was true to its demands.  Now that was way long, long ago.  At this very  moment, however,  I  wonder:   -will Anika ever possibly pick up from where I left off?