Enchanted moment

The moment began like this...I listened to my 4-year-old son, Ronan read me a story that he had written.

Ruby was a husky horse. He lived with me, Ronan. Ronan fed her hay. Ruby liked to climb on the mountains with me. One day a squid fly (don't ask, I have no idea what this is) found them. The squid fly took Ruby and Ronan to his house. His house had a triangle roof and lots of bricks. He trapped 
them in a cage. They used a key they found on the floor to get out. They ran away to New Mexico where the squid fly couldn't find them. New Mexico is very far and it has peace and quiet. Ruby and Ronan lived happily ever after. 
The End

I realized as he wrapped up his mini-fairytale that he is as prone to enchantment as I am. I am not only prone to it, but drawn to it.  I am captured by it and I seek it out. There is nothing wrong with enchantment. That moment that you feel yourself calm and focused and lifted to another place.  That moment when you see possibilities. It's being a dreamer, but it's more than that.

Ronan's story clearly shows some creativity. Predominantly, it shows the detail of a 4-year-old mind. It has a basic plot and hollow characters. It is cute (especially the squid fly?). But then he states, New Mexico is very far and it has peace and quiet. I was a bit stunned. I knew that David and I had felt that way about New Mexico when we were there recently, but we had not been vocal about it. It was peaceful, and it was quiet, and we were in a state of calm for most of the trip. Clearly, it translated. That wasn't the part that got me, though. It was the fact that he VALUED peace and quiet.  He was enchanted enough by the idea of peace and quiet that he made it his escape destination in a fairy tale.

I realize that it is important to be pragmatic, and that society doesn't believe that we cloudy-headed, unfocused dreamer-folk can make rational leadership-worthy decisions. There always needs to be balance.  There is always pressure to make concrete, logical decisions and stick by them.  Even if they're wrong. Emotion is the enemy, and dreams are worthless. I can't live like that. I believe that my indecision, mistakes and enchantment enable me to have an interesting and full life.  I will never have a picture perfect, by-the-book lifestyle because it is not who we are...

Both of our children are dreamers. They are happy as long as they are weaving a tale and entrenched in their environment. Our world is full of music, color and story. We will, of course, teach them to balance enchantment with logic, but I am proud of our cloudy headed, unfocused dreamer-ness.  We are the people who find beauty in anything and solutions from nothing. We truly need very little.  One of the things I am learning about myself is that I do better with less. Simplicity has been more and more attractive and we are finding that our children do better with a simpler life as well.

I find that I am moved by simple statements of peace and the fostering of creativity. We toured a school for Evelyn the other day and I was taken by the amount of care that went into the atmosphere. It was not, by any means, a wealthy, shiny computer lab, modern fixutres and latest & greatest school.  In fact, the district is not well off at all. However, this particular school has chosen to stay small and dedicate its energy toward developing a warm, inviting, and artistic culture.  David and I both felt at home and welcome. It was enchanting. I love those moments when I feel like I'm on the right path. It is usually when I allow my subconscious true creative control and choose to feel the freedom that we are all born with.

Peace and Quiet in the Land of Enchantment

My challenge is that there are two sides to everything. We need structure to exist in society, so it is the weight that I carry to strike that balance between structure and enchantment and solidify those practices with my family. When I recognize qualities of strength in either structure or dreaming I will focus and nurture them.

We hold onto these fantastic pictures of the future that are enchanted visions of the life we long to lead, peppered with reality and experience. However, I do not believe that life exists only in the future.We find our enchanted moments of reality in the present and hold on, knowing that they will help us form the pictures to come.

Moment of Design captured...