Monsters

Even though my birthday is today, we celebrated yesterday with cake and cards in Belleville - watching two year old Ruby tuck into my birthday cake was a gift in and of itself. As my birthday is close to Christmas, we also celebrated the birth of that other guy with Joseph and his Dad and Ruby's mom Marissa. After the cake, Ruby almost vibrated as you could see sugar take human form. She would run from room to room through the door that connected the two hotel rooms shreiking with laughter.

At one point she came up to Joe and asked, "Is there a monster in the room?" Joe looked around seriously and said, "No, there are no monsters here." She then went and peeked in the other room and came back and asked, "Is there monster's there?" Joe said, seriously again, "No, we don't let monsters in here." You could see the effect of these words, assurances on her. She relaxed into space that she knew was safe. The monsters had been banished by Joe's words and calm manner.

As I watched her run around the room in delighted abandon, as she cavorted with cake energy and twirled in her new Christmas dress it was as if she was floating in the knowledge that she was surrounded by those who watched out for monsters, those who would keep the monsters at bay. I wished, right then, that it would always be this easy. That all her monsters would be subject to the love of her parents and the care of those around her. That all her monsters would be banished by the kind words of a man like Joe. That her safety would be assured and her joy undiminished.

But she is yet to turn three and the world is full of real monsters, real dangers and real treachery. Kind words and watchful parents will not keep these at bay. She has a difficult world that she will need to navigate. I know that.

So I'm glad that today we can say 'not yet, now now' to dangers. I'm pleased to be here in her world, a world of pure joy and complete safety. I feel blessed with the power over her monsters today and maybe tomorrow.

"Is there a monster in the room?"

That's a question that I need to ask more often.

"Is there a monster in the room?"

Not today Ruby, not tomorrow, but one day you will be more powerful than monsters. One day you will be your own guardian. One day you will assure some little child that the world is safe.

But most of all, I'm glad you learned from us today, on my birthday, that kind words and gentle reassurance have power over monsters.