Photo by Ken
Photo by Ken

We have “craft time” every day at our house.  Edie sees to it.  She wakes from her afternoon nap wanting to know what we’re going to make that day.   Some days when I’m really on top of things, I coordinate making something we’ve been talking about and sneak a lesson into it.   Most days though, I give her some watercolors or playdough and tell her to have at it.

In celebration of Memorial Day, we made an American flag for craft time today.   With little hope that the result would meet United States regulations, I thought if I could drive home two points, then I would be successful at sneaking in the lesson.  #1.  It is the AMERICAN flag.   #2.  It represents FREEDOM.

Now how exactly do you explain “freedom” to a three year old?  I took the approach that freedom means “you can grow up to be anything you want to be.”

“Like a ballerina?”

“Yes, Edie.  Our brave soldiers fought and died for this country… and your freedom to be a ballerina.”

How incredible is it that we live in a free country and that our children can dream big and be whatever in the world they want to be?  I often take this for granted, but in sitting down to explain it to Edie, it somehow became much clearer.  So on this Memorial Day, I want to offer my sincere gratitude to all of the brave men and women who serve this country and defend my daughter’s right to dance.