Iris (7) is in tears. She misses horses. Not just riding them, for Iris is not so interested in riding. She misses being with them. She cries herself to sleep and when she wakes in the morning she still misses them. At family ring time before we strike the singing bowl and we go around the circle announcing what it is we will think about while we listen to the sound disappearing, Iris says, “Horses.” There’s a theme, right? You can see it.
The sun is shining. The sky is as blue as.... a very blue thing. We are not in our heads. We are in our bodies which seem floating like baby bird feathers on the breeze. We want to frolick in the fields, blowing through our noses like...horses. But we must go to school in the kitchen. (What?!)
Me: Iris, I think you need to practice those three notes on the recorder just for a few more minutes and get them sounding really good.
Iris: No, I’ve had enough.
Me: Iris, just a little commitment, a little focus on your part please.
Iris: No.
Me: It will be German next.
Iris: Uhhhhhahhhhuuuug!
Me: It will be fun! We will learn a new song. So finish up the recorder.
Iris: I can’t do it! No! No! Noooooooo!
Me: (pointing a recorder at Iris’s face) You will! I have stayed up late downloading endless postings on google classroom and planning today and - you will!
Iris: (throwing her reading glasses across the table and storming upstairs) I will not!
Take two.
Me: Iris, I had some things planned for today but I can see you are sad and missing horses. So maybe you would like to choose what you do this morning.
Iris: I would like to look at my book about horses.
Me: Good idea. I will look at it with you.
Iris: And then I want to write about the horse I want to get when I am older.
Me: Great. Shall we write about it in German?
Iris: No.
Me: Of course. No problem. Perhaps we could compose a recorder song about horses?
Iris: No.
Me: Not to worry, I'll be in the garden, blowing through my nose and eating lusious grass. Go get your horse book. I’m here. Ready for horses.
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