A Million Billion Sprinkles on the Floor

When I was little my mom and I used to bake a lot of cookies! Actually, to be more accurate, my mom baked a lot of cookies and I spent a lot of time chatting, stealing cookie dough and making a huge mess while decorating the cookies. My mom often told me that I got more sprinkles on the floor than on the cookies. I was so focused on how my cookie was turning out I simply did not notice the sprinkles that missed their mark bouncing away off the edge of the table.

This post is not really about sprinkles though. It’s more about my mom. The fact that she let me continue decorating cookies despite the inevitable mess is just one example of how she let me be myself. Whether we were baking cookies or drawing pictures Mom always encouraged my creative side.

I think that was because she understood what it was like. My mom has a wonderful imagination. She is the best at inventing stories and silly songs and is very convincing at eating plastic food. Growing up, she encouraged me (and my brothers) to read, write and draw pictures and led by example.

She probably doesn't think I was, but I was paying attention too. Her enthusiasm for books, for imagining, and for creating something out of nothing really rubbed off on me.

So here’s to my mom:

May your sprinkles never fall on the floor!