You know what they are, a lot of you have them. They’re the reason for believing that life truly can be beautiful. They are the little folks who do their noble best to keep us honest, humble and ensure that our treasure chest of fun memories is kept full. They’re Toddler grandchildren.
It was a pleasant post-season Sunday afternoon, we nearing completion of a babysitting weekend and with not-quite-three-year-old Lucy in tow, we're headed for the Hyannis dock area.
Always on the lookout for ways to both educate and amuse my first born wonder child I coaxed her out of her
“Lucy, let’s take a walk over to look at the boats”
No hesitation, out she sprang and off we walked, hand in hand
“These are called fishing boats”
“Where do they go Nonni?”
“They go out to the sea, look, way out there”
“What do they do out there?”
“Well, there are fishermen on the boats and they catch fish”
“How do they do that Nonni?”
She looked up at me with those big green eyes, ones that had just recently evolved to the color that they will be for the rest of her life, big like her mommie’s, full of trust and expectation. My own little captive audience. Now I knew that a full explanation was required. Let’s make this a real learning experience.
“Lucy, do you see the nets, those ropes that are tied to the side of the boat? Those are what they use to catch the fish. The fisherman come to the boat, get inside, drive the boat out to the sea and when they are there, they drop the nets into the water”
Full speed ahead, Nonni, you’re getting better at this teaching moment every second. She’s getting it!
“How do they know there’s fish in the nets”
“Well, they do it all the time so they can tell” How the heck do I know, I suddenly realize. Okay, you’re doing fine, she’s a bright kid, just keep talking. She’s learning about a bit of Cape Cod, her mother’s legacy…..
“What happens next Nonni?” She cocks her little head to one side and looks up to me
“When they have all of the nets full of fish, they bring them in on their boat, back to the place where the boat is now” Okay, it’s getting cold out here…..I have to wrap this up soon
“Then what happens?
“Well, the truck from the supermarket comes to the dock and the fisherman put the fish into the truck”
“Where does it go Nonni?”
“The truck takes the fish to the supermarket”
A hesitation….the little wheels are turning, I can almost hear this magnificent toddler brain as it makes sense of all of this. Full circle, she now understands the food chain. So, why the scrunched up little face, the face that signals, there’s something that I really DON”T understand……
“Nonni, how do they know what to buy”
“ Huh? Who sweetheart?”
“The FISH Nonni. How do they know what to buy when they get to the supermarket??”
“DUH?”
Time has passed, all too quickly I’m afraid. Fast forward three years
“Lucy, who is this Taylor Swift person”
“Duh?”
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