A Space to Call my Own- (a little girl's lesson)

Today I was remembering.....


I guess it all started with the story we read in school.
There was a little boy who lived with his mom and younger siblings in a New York City apartment. This little boy was always surrounded by people, things, activity, movement from here to there. And one day the boy broke down. "I want a space of my own!" So this little boy looked everywhere, just to find a place to be silent. A place to be still.

When I was a kid I was hardly what you'd call the 'quiet type' (I'm sure you can imagine) but something about this story touched me. I don't know what it was. I'm not going to say I was craving stability in my life, that I needed to discover myself, or that after living in one shipping container with my whole family for a year I was having an identity crisis, because only God truly understands the mind of a 6 year old.

But this is what I do know.

I read that story over and over (or rather, gazed at the pictures as my mom read it to me). And pretty soon I started looking for a quiet place for myself. A place that would be mine. A space to call my own.

Needless to say my siblings thought I was crazy. Who was this girl moping about looking for privacy? Surely not Grace the Loud-mouth, the Attention Hog, the one who cried every time her siblings were invited somewhere without her!

And yet here I was- solemnly announcing that I wanted a space of my own. A place by myself.

Here is when my parents showed me how they are the greatest parents in the whole world.

The next morning Dad opened up the back of our old Toyota. Mom put a blanket inside and found a few flowers for decoration. Dad brought out some porridge and toast. They asked if I was alright and I nodded.

And there I sat- eating my breakfast alone- as the rest of my family sat around the table passing around the jam no doubt.

   And it was quiet-

                    And I was happy-

                                  I had a Space of my own.


  After my breakfast, dad came out and asked if I wanted to join them.

And that's when I realized....
                           The best thing about having a space of your own
                                                                                 is choosing to stay with others.

And that was that.