Rabbit holes again

January 27, 2006 / Uncategorized / 17 Comments

Today is Lewis Carroll’s birthday. I’ve decided I like sharing a birthday with Mr. Carroll. Come with me down the rabbit hole…

“Mommy come and see!” 4 year old Gleek radiated awe and excitement in both her voice and face. I looked at my bills and thought about the waiting piles of laundry. I didn’t really have time to go look at an interesting rock.

“Mommy please! You have to see this!” Gleek had begun to bounce in place. Obviously whatever she had to show me was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. Or at least the most amazing thing since the rock earlier this morning or yesterday’s bug. I reminded myself that as trivial as these things seem to me, they are truly important to Gleek. Children are little, and so small things are vital. Small things like mommy coming to see the newest discovery. Gleek was tugging on my hand by this time, so I allowed her to pull me from my chair and accompanied her outside.

The first thing I noticed as I stepped out the door was warm air. The air was far too warm for January in Utah. I thought of all the times Gleek protested wearing her coat, saying she wasn’t cold. This was her world and it was warmer than mine.

“There!” whispered Gleek in awe as she pointed to a cloud. It was an interestingly wispy cloud, but still, a cloud.
“Wow, that’s a really interesting cloud.” I feigned enthusiasm.
“No!” Gleek turned on me in disbelief, giving me a look that declared my stupidity and utter blindness. “Not the cloud! Look at the horses!”
“Horses?” Puzzled, I scanned the sky again.
“See? They are dancing in the cloud.” I didn’t see. All I could see was cloud. Then a warm breeze blew across my face and I blinked. Was there movement among the wisps up there? Yes there was. The more I watched, the clearer I could see the herd of flying horses. They did appear to be dancing.

Gleek smiled at me. “They are dancing for the rainbows to come.” Then she led me around the corner of my house to a place where it was summer.

In that place flowers bloomed. The dance of the horses must have worked for a rainbow shafted through the sky to touch the earth and become a rainbowed river. In this place the fairies danced and Gleek danced with them, more beautiful than them all. Then she rode upon a flying horse and danced in the sky to make more rainbows come. I stood to the side and only watched. These sorts of dances were not for me. My feet were too heavy with the weight of responsibility. But as I looked around I realized that this was a place I had been before in a time I only half remembered. In that long ago time I too had danced.

Afternoon fled and Gleek was ready to return indoors. She happily ate a snack and ran off to play a computer game. But I was drawn to the window. The wispy cloud had long since blown away. I stepped outside. A chill January wind whipped past and made me shivver. Snow covered the place where Gleek had danced among flowers.

A child such as Gleek travels roads that are closed to adults. I think that tomorrow I’ll follow her again to see where we go.

17 thoughts on “Rabbit holes again”

  2. jerith

    And this is why I look forward to every post you write. The more mundane ones are worth reading for the enlightenment they bring but every now and then a story like this one blows me away completely.

    Happy birthday!

  5. lady_anne

    What a beautiful memory you’ve captured – for her – for you – and for all of us. Thank you many times over.

    I’t so lovely, and your writing about it is a gift you’ll be able to give her – and her daughters.

    Thanks again.

  6. topherbear

    Beautiful

    This post is beautifully written and does great justice to the minds of toddlers everywhere. I love the line “Children are little and so small things are vital.” Thanks for the beautiful post. I think I’ll go home and watch my three year old play.

  7. roster007

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

    Thank you. That was beautiful. I could see it in my mind in such detail! Nothing else existed while I read it. You have such a wonderful way with words.
    Now, this is a horrible thing to say, after reading such a beautiful experience with your child, but, after I got done reading I thought,
    ‘I hope your kids can grow up and give you more time to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!!! I can’t wait to read a book written by author Sandra Tayler!’ (maybe I can design your book’s front cover? 🙂

    Have a very Happy Birthday!

  11. ret7army

    Rabbit holes again

    Awesome, I’ve been missing the wonders of 40’s and 50’s in January for North Dakota and seeing what my own scamps are up too. An excellent “word smithing”, glad your hubby pointed me this way.
    Go figure with -40 degree weather in Russia, and low to mid +40’s in Kuwait (at night) today on the way in to work some kids had a couple of kites flying, that too was a nice piece of eye candy.
    Tim

  13. purplemummybear

    My other half introduced me to your LJ via the Schlock Mercenary. I love the post about rabbit holes, my son comes running in when he’s been in the garden with a ‘come and see, come and see’. It’s a spider, or a web with dew drops on, or the cat from next door and I sometime wonder what he really does see in these things, if he sees the same things that I do and I remember what it was like to be his size and ride an imaginary horse around the house. I have a little girl now too, only small but I can’t wait to hear those footsteps come running and another little voice calling ‘come and see, come and see’. Take care 🙂

  14. wulfbyu

    I just read this again and got chills… I hope this is one you’re planning on publishing somewhere, if not at least on the upcoming website.

  15. wulfbyu

    I just read this again and got chills… I hope this is one you’re planning on publishing somewhere, if not at least on the upcoming website.

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