Dear Diary,
I was about to do a kartwheel out the front door this morning when Brando jumped in front of me and said “Stop what you're doing, kid.” He looked all mean and stuff and I was like “Well, what's going on here.”
Big brother is usually in a hurry to push me out the door and be rid of me so I figured something must be up. My doll Faith, who I had tucked in my backpack was giggling. (I find it strange that I am the only person who can hear my rag doll speaking, is everyone else hard of hearing?) Anywhoosler, I put my hands down by my side, 'cuz they had been over my head in account of I was going to do a kartwheel and all, and put them on my hips instead. I looked at Brando and then at JP sitting on his shoulder and said “Yessssssss?!”
“You can't go out right now,” he said.
“'Course I can.” I said back to him.
“Nope. You probably should just be inside, it's much safer,” he replied. It was just then that I noticed brother's bottom lip was shaking and his eyes looked all watery. I think Brando was about to cry maybe.
I had to think quick. Why was he sad? It was just then that Faith suddenly dropped into my backpack and slid into the deep pocket. When I reached into the pocket to grab her I got this sudden picture in my head about school, Brando's school actually.
I instantly remembered that this was his last spring break as a middle-schooler. As soon as school vacation is over Brando has to start spending a couple of hours a week visiting his next school. The big school. The high school. I had heard Mama telling Nana Whacky how scared he was to be going into a whole new situation with older kids and harder school subjects. Mama actually used the word scared when she was talking about Brando – my big brother who I knew was scared of nuthin'! My big brother who stomped every spider I asked him to. Golly, he's the guy who wears a Superman cape to bed. He's my bestest hero ever and yet he was scared to change.
All that stuff went through my head in like, ten seconds. It was just long enough for me to pull Faith out of my bag and place her in Brando's hand as I said “Here Brando, hold onto Faith. It's safe for me to go outside. There is a new playground I'm going to and a new neighbor I'm going to meet. Even though change scares me, alls I gots to do is think about my Superhero brother and then WHAMMY I knows I have what it takes to try something different.”
JP ruffled his feathers when I spoke like that to my brother, and I saw a sparkle in Brando's eye as he squeezed Faith in his hand.
I raised my arms over my head to continue my most excellent kartwheel out the door and Brando shouted to me “Well yeah, Molly Kite, go play, I didn't mean to say it's safer inside, what I said was “it's not sane to be inside – you know- it's warmer out there. Go on now, go play, you brat.”
Here's hoping Brando thinks different about change next time.
Chocolate wishes and blueberry kisses,
Miss Molly Kite (& Faith)
P.S. The kartwheel was most excellent!
FAMILY FUN: Change can be challenging. Have an open discussion with family members about this subject. Use the following questions to get you jumpstarted.
Why is change scary?
How can you make new situations fun and exciting?
Does change have to be scary? What is a different way to look at change?
Draw or write a picture about bravery.
Do you love the Dear Diary column and have questions for Molly Kite or Nana Whacky? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact the author of this column by emailing:
tam@choosebigchange.com