I’m sort of embarrassed to admit it, but I once punched a little girl in the stomach. Of course, I was a little girl, too, at the time and she asked for it. She really did. We were walking home from grade school and she declared, “The Easter Bunny isn’t real!” The Easter Bunny isn’t real? How dare you say such a thing? I’ll show you something real, I thought, right before I punched her in the belly.

I’d do it again, too.

It’s not that I’m condoning violence. Oh no, I’m a pacifist from way back in the 60’s, but I’ve got a breaking point and here it is: Do not tell me the Easter Bunny isn’t real!

Don’t even think about telling me that wishes on first stars don’t come true!

Do not imply that there’s no magic in blowing the seeds off a dandelion bloom or that good luck doesn’t necessarily follow the discovery of a four-leaf clover.

I won’t believe you.

There’s magic outside. All you have to do is look. You can find it everywhere, and that’s what I want to share with my grandchildren.

Let’s lay in the grass, I tempt them. Let’s roll around. Then, let’s roll down this little hill. Isn’t that fun? Take a whiff. Smell that, I ask my darling grandkids. That is the smell of the color Green. Close your eyes and sniff. Can you see Green?

Now roll over, I tell the grandkids. Look up. See the clouds. If you’re lucky and the wind is blowing just right, you can see the clouds moving across the sky, floating like great globs of whipping cream. If you stare up at them without blinking your eyes, it feels like you’re floating, too. See if you can find things you recognize in the clouds. Is that a doggie? Is that an ice cream cone? Hey, does that one look like Grandma’s cupcakes? Wouldn’t it be fun to ride those clouds and float to someplace fun? Where would you go? What would you do when you got there, I ask my darlings.

Oh, and let’s not forget Rain. Just smell the rain on a warm afternoon, I remind my sweeties. That’s the smell of Wet! Isn’t it great? And if it isn’t thundering or lightning, I invite you to come out to play in the rain. You don’t need a raincoat and you sure don’t need those shoes and socks! Splash and stomp and when you are really wet and your hair is dripping, I dare you to tilt your head back and open your mouth and let it fill up with rainwater. Has water ever tasted better than that? 

And what about those worms? Look at them squiggling and wriggling across the sidewalk. Which one will make it across the sidewalk first? Let’s watch their wriggly, squiggly race! And then, let’s try to wriggle and squiggle just like them.

Maybe we should go to the park, or maybe even just wander around in our own back yards. Check out the plant leaves. See if you find any bugs, I tempt my grandbabies. If you’re lucky, you might find a Lady Bug. I know a poem about a Ladybug, do you? Or even better, let’s see if you can find a Praying Mantis. Let’s all hold out our hands and see who will let a Praying Mantis walk across their hands. I’ll go first. Doesn’t that tickle? We should call that bug a Tickle Bug, don’t you think?

There’s so much magic outside, if you’ll only turn off your Wii and Nintendo DS games and come out and play with me. Who will be first to spot a hummingbird? Let’s see who can catch a Carolina Anole. And, oh my, look at that fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar. Is that the hungry one they wrote the book about?

Oh, there’s magic out here, I tell my grandchildren. Magic and wonder and happiness. Just open your eyes and hearts and step outside.

I’ll come with you. We can giggle and play and share secrets. Just don’t tell me the Easter Bunny isn’t real. You never know how I might react!

Contact Linda S Amstutz at 803-695-5001 Linda@braceguard.com

© 2010 Linda S. Amstutz