After starting our day with Pancakes & PJ's at church, Alli and I headed off to the outlet mall with a few other members of our family. From the time she awoke this morning, Alli had one goal and that was to get to the Disney store where she had high hopes of spending some of her Christmas and birthday money. Upon our arrival at the mall, it was all she talked about...or rather whined about as we intentionally visited other stores first (partly because of where we parked and partly as a bribe...you know the kind - "We will go to the Disney store but only if you behave in this store...and this one...and so on.") Alli doesn't usually take to bribes easily like most children do and well, today was no different. However, she did perk up a little a couple of hours later as we entered into the beloved Disney store. After slowly looking around and several times of changing her mind, she finally picked a toy that she'd "always wanted." So, as we were waiting in line to check out and she was proudly holding this sought after treasure, I asked her "Are you happy now?" fully expecting a huge grin and a shaking of the head 'yes!' Needless to say, I was somewhat taken aback when she very seriously looked up at me with her big green eyes and replied very matter of fact, "I am hungry." This was definitely not the response I was expecting.
Fast forward to tonight, I decide to head back to town to purchase some items I need to finally make an attempt at a Pinterest/something-I-saw-at-Canton craft. Lane, feeling left out of the shopping experience (or rather just feeling the need to burn his own Christmas and birthday money), says that he'd like to go with me. So off we go. After a stop at Home Depot, we hit up Michaels for some scrapbook paper. As I am carefully selecting the papers I want to use, Lane is perusing the options as well. He finds one that has an American flag on it and excitedly states "Get this one, mom! It's awesome because... it's just so awesome!"
And so tonight, I ponder these words of wisdom from my favorite little people. Rather than claiming excitement and happiness, Alli was "hungry." She longed for more but couldn't be fed without her own effort to move on. If you truly consider it, this could be the case with many who claim unhappiness as a description of their day to day life. It may not be unhappiness at all, but rather a simple hunger for something more...a meaning, a purpose, a grace, a love...a hunger for something similar to what Lane found in the piece of scrapbook paper...a hunger for something "awesome." That piece of paper may or may not have been anymore awesome than any of the others in the store, but because Lane looked and searched for the most awesome one, that is what he found. Our lives are no different than these random comments from two six year olds... Are you hungry for something awesome?
Love it!! Thanks for sharing!!
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