A Simple Life 1

I'm grading papers about how people don't know how to stop and smell the roses. It's true I guess and I think the only people who truly are able to enjoy the smell of the roses without any cynicism are children.

One of the twins' favourite toys is the umbrella. It doesn't matter the size. The huge golf umbrella or the tiny fit-in-the-handbag ones. The point is it's a versatile toy. It's a microphone, a walking stick and of course, an umbrella.

Now that it's the rainy season, Evan constantly wants to go out in the rain so that he can open the umbrella. He gave me a long nagging lecture when I got home yesterday damp having walked home in the rain.

Usually they are not allowed to go out and play with the umbrellas in the rain because apparently, that's how children catch a chill and get sick. My theory is if they're under the umbrella, they should be fine. So, under my watch today, I give them free reign to traipse around the porch with their brollies of choice. My only stipulation, the umbrella must always be covering their heads. If not, I will take it away.

So for half an hour, they just walk round the porch gingerly, raising the umbrella as high up as their little arms will let them and lower them till they walk into our parked cars. Of course, that sends them into gales of laughter.




















As I sit and watch, I find myself hoping that twenty years from now, these are the stories that they will tell their friends or future girl/boyfriends about their childhood.


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