Monday, June 23, 2008

Playing with the band


they are darlins, originally uploaded by toyfoto.


If you were to ask me what I want Annabel to be when she grows up, I couldn't really say.

I could only tell you all the clichés, and you've probably already heard them: I want her to be happy. I want her to have integrity. I want her to be kind and loving and generous. I want her to use her mind and never let people with ill-intent screw with it.

One of the most difficult things to explain to a four-year-old (or even a forty-year-old for that matter) is the question: "Why don't they like me?

I hear my own mother's voice come out of my throat: "Honey, they just don't know you."

It breaks a mother’s heart to watch her child run from group to group, hoping to be included and finding only quizzical faces and flying hair as the bodies attached run in an opposite direction.

"Why won't they play with me?"

I know it's because kids are like that. Even she can be like that. There's nothing to be done but hold your head up and move on.

There we are she and I, sitting hip to hip, rocking on the hillside. I have no words of wisdom. I have no advice other than to tell her to persevere.

But I know she doesn't want to just run with the gangs that flock from hill to hill. She doesn't want to just be in their general vicinity. She wants to lead them and influence their play. She's got big ideas.

"Maybe if I play with my play picnic food someone will come up and want to play with it, too."

But as the minutes went by in our staged picnic of wooden meats, fish, cheeses and vegetables, no one was enticed.

"I know! I'll get my stickers and hand them out. Maybe then they'll play with me."

I pull the sheets of colorful stars from my bag and she runs toward the children. She wordlessly holds out her offering. Some of the kids come closer. Some of the younger ones, prompted by their mothers, wordlessly accept. Others just say "No, I don't want any stickers."

And this becomes the game she plays with herself. She no longer needs the children. She just needs the stickers.

"I have to find more people. I have to make sure EVERYONE gets a sticker!" she tells me. And then she's gone.

I catch a glimpse of her teal shirt, which, from a distance, looks perfectly free of cherry-ice stains and ground in dirt. She is milling about the clusters of adults sipping wine from glasses and waiting for the line at the buffet to draw inward, asking them if they'd like to chose a sticker.

Most oblige.

Who can say no to a little girl bestowing gifts?

Finally, she meets the only girls at the party willing to play.

Those Darlins.

And they were. Darling.

From their patch of grass in front of their performance space, the girls played with Annabel. Their friends juggled for her and played with her picnic foods. They accepted stickers. They danced with her and played hide and seek. They made sure to find her.

When it was time for their show to go on, she danced in the front row.

She was walking on air.

They dedicated a song to their biggest (and littlest) fan.

And she took every opportunity - every lull in the performance - to hug one of them around the knees (often encircling their guitars, too).

It's not every mother's dream for her children to reach for the stars, I suppose. ... But I don't really mind. I just wish Annabel didn't have to be so literal.

"I know it looks like play, Annabel, but really it's work."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That really is heartbreaking. I've experienced the SAME thing with Abby ... well minus the wooden meat and rock band.

Anonymous said...

Oh sweet Annabel,
My heart ached...and you dear stranger, I can only imagine how you felt being the mother and witnessing all this....

Although cheer for her character to try so hard and eventually find somewhere to belong to...

Well little one, I have to say, I can not understand how can anyone (young or old) look at that beautiful face of yours and don't get the urge to jump high and play with you over and over....

My little guy is only 20 months old and he loves playing with older "babies"- he calls all the kids regardless of their ages "baby"...but if one day he turned out to be like those kids, I have to sit him down and tell him there is no way one will see a gem like Annabel and then let her play on her own....

Unknown said...

sometimes you're inside the circle and sometimes you're waaay outside it.. but for sure Annabel attracts the coolest people. worried, too, that her feelings were hurt but look at this girl. just marched right on forward and found her groove. I love this post. a mother's perspective.

Anonymous said...

Annabel,

We miss you and are so happy we got to hang and have fun this past weekend. You are soooooo much fun.

We are in the city still...recording and playing shows.
Wish you could come out next Monday at South Paw in Brooklyn. Will be a big show for us and we could use your kind of support.

Also, love the picture of you in our shirt!
Stay in touch. Our email is darlinstn@gmail.com.
Much love you Wild One!
Those Darlins

Anonymous said...

Kids are cruel... so sad little Annabel was exposed to this when all she wanted to do was play and have fun... but her good nature did prevail. I'll bet no other children had a song dedicated to them that night

Later, Kcoz