Sunday 14 July 2013

Sample Sunday

Lily has leveled up. She is my new partner at booth for markets.

Today she took over grill duties. She grilled the links, checked for doneness,  cut them up (with scissors), toothpicked, and then walked around talking to folks while offering samples. That was all we discussed her doing, it was her idea.

I step away for a moment and come back to her taking money, making change, and packaging product. We have never once done formal math lessons with her, she made correct change. We had friends at neighbouring booths keeping on eye on her, so I wasn't worried, but I did not expect her to take on this part of running the booth!

Proud mama, but more important that how I feel about it.....proud of herself Lily.



She prefers to have her own product though. She was very clear about this on our drive home. I love doing this with her, the one on one time we get. I was sad when she fell asleep with an hour left to drive home, because she is a very lovely companion and storyteller. 

This is my Lily. Bright and effervescent, strong willed and confident. This child made me a mother and makes me earn that title every day, gladly.

I shared a story with guests to our farm yesterday that I realised I never shared here, at least not that I could find in the archive search. 2 summers ago Lily went to and was kicked out of her first 4H day camp. I was very proud of her that day.

Wait? What?

That's right.  I was proud of her.

Enthusiastic belligerence is what they informed me when I picked her up.

She was rude to the teacher, that was wrong. But Mama, she was rude to all of us telling us wrong things! Wrong things about food!
That's my girl. She stood her ground when the teacher told them to choose fat free options. Human bodies NEED fat to use vitamins. Also the term chemical shitstorm may have been used. She refused to eat the veggies and fruits from China, because that country cannot be counted on for safe gardening and not spray poison. She was/is right.

Then when the teacher told them they should eat less meat, only 3 times a week, Lily asked, You mean 3 times a day, right? Because 3 out of 21 meals? Who is this lady? The camp tried to serve a vegetarian lunch. Guess how that went? Yeah. Lily refused to eat and warned them she gets cranky without protein in a meal. Yes. She did.

Lily never backed down. Lily stands her ground. That will serve her well in life if she can polish that skill, so far she is really blooming and growing, understanding better how to politely refuse and politely educate and be a light in the world sharing what we know and live.

Shiny. My shiny Lily. She was 6 at the time.

*She did later apologise for being rude to the teacher, but never once apologised for the content of her words. I am so proud of her. How hard it is for a child to stand up to adults, in front of peers that she really wants to like and accept her, to not back down? That is a life skill. Think about it. This child, if we nurture instead of oppress, will never have the experience of regretting not saying something, of not standing up for herself. How often I sit in my car in tears and then eureka think of the perfect thing to have said, after the moment is lost. This leader, this sassy wonderful child, will not suffer like that if we are careful to keep this spark alive in her.

What do you think? Have you ever had to stand up for something you knew to be factually correct in the face of authority telling you and others something else? Under the pressure of peers?

1 comment:

  1. Yes! Love this. She will learn tact and the art of finesse a little later, when she realizes that will help her further her message. Awesome kid.

    ReplyDelete

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