Mermaids and Ruby Slippers

As we floated in the pool to escape the heat daughter # 2 asks me;

"Do you like mermaids momma?"

I never really thought about it.  So I give her a shrug of the shoulders and reply with no enthusiasm what so ever:

"I guess they are kinda cool. Why do you like them?"

"They are so pretty and they have powers!"

She was beaming. Her smile was big. And I kinda felt bad for being a downer... then it hit me.

This was a huge teachable moment for me and it was waiting there for me to seize it.  Do not squander it. don't be less than enthusiastic; don't be a downer!

Sitting there on a silver platter was the opportunity to tell daughter # 2 this:

You are pretty and have powers too,  ya know?

It may look different then the mermaids powers but you do. Even if you don't see it sometimes... they are there. You just have to figure them out!

I went on to say that the power is in us to do lots of things, 

 the power to be kind 

 the power to make a difference 

 the power to learn 

 the power to do something bravish

 the power to forgive
 the power to be anything you want to be
 the power to dream

Her brown eyes just stared at me. A smile curled up on her lips...

"Where do I get that power?" she said.

"Well you get that power from your passion and drive and your village. Your people, your friends,  help fuel that power."

Hopefully. 

She laughed and the moment swam off. As I heard those last words come out I believed every word of them. We all have that power and passion to do something. Whatever it is. And the people around us are the ones that keep us afloat and paddling when we want to give up.

The Little Mermaid was all about dreaming and the power to change her course. With her dinglehoppers and passion she makes her dreams a reality.

We recently went to see The Wizard of Oz and the aha moment went off again sitting there holding my girl's hand. Dorothy desperately wants to get home. Glinda the Good Witch tells her; "You have always had the power my dear; you just had to learn it for yourself".

I am pretty sure Ariel and Dorothy would be best of friends, don't you??

Whether its your mermaid tail or your ruby slippers... you have the power.

So surround yourself with people who get it. And get you! Be someone's biggest fan and give them the fuel and energy to power on. You don't get to take their power. Use your own.  We all have it, we just need to learn it for ourselves.