Today we went to see Kung Fu Panda and there were some striking similarities between me and the great panda, namely our love for cookies.
I’m loving panda bears right now–especially wise lovable ones named Stillwater–as seen in the brilliant children’s books: Zen Ties, Zen Shorts, and Zen Ghosts by Jon Muth. Stillwater becomes friends with three children and teaches them life lessons through fascinating stories. For example, one story is about two monks are crossing a river the same time as a rude woman with packages who also needs to cross. The older monk carries her across on his back and she doesn’t say thank you when they get to the other side. After walking for hours, the younger monk is still fuming over her rudeness and he asks the older monk how he can just keep walking happily along. The older monk replies, “I put her down hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?” Annabelle likes to remind me of this story when I’m having trouble letting something go.
I could have really used Stillwater yesterday–a day full of turmoil. Let’s see, I had a little altercation with the rude toothless man at the dump because he was trying to charge me to throw away a tiny bit of stuff and I didn’t have my wallet on me. Then an insane trip to the walk-in clinic to find out I have tendonitis in my wrist. But taking a curious two-year-old in there was like putting dynamite in a jelly jar. He was jumping on the scale and running everywhere and kicking and he insisted on bringing his giant swimming noodle in with us everywhere we went–the Dr.’s, the pharmacy, (where he knocked boxes and boxes of bandaids off the shelf), the sunglasses store where Henry and Annabelle tried on the most expensive sunglasses they could find along with scarves and hats and strutted in front of the mirror, laughing hysterically, they climbed on the raised platform for trying on shoes and Henry started singing Hannah Montana at the top of his lungs. “Best! Of Vorld!”
Stillwater!! Come take us on a walk and tell us a simple and beautiful story that lights our path!
The awesome thing is, I can be Stillwater for the kids. Off we go on a quiet nature walk…
