The Amazing Laura

Some of you have already read this on FB but I really want it here, too. Because I lurve me Lo-lo (Laura's nickname).


If you haven't read this before, be ready to be dazzled by the amazing spirit of sweet Laura. Enjoy.
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I am blessed by a very special and unique friendship with a little darling named Laura. Laura is three, which I know to be a very difficult age for many parents to manage (myself included) but since she is not my own child, I get to plug directly into her wonderful spirit without worrying about the normal parental constraints of consistency and moderation. I get to enjoy The Laura Experience full tilt, no holds barred, on each visit.

Our special friendship is built on mutual admiration and trust. For example, when she must vacate the house with her daddy and sisters because her mommy is having some ladies over to snack and craft, she can count on me to keep her precious blankie safe from marauding pets who constantly seek to defile it by attempting to sleep on it. She can count on me and I do my best to live up to that trust.

Laura also has a smile that is so bright and engaging that I swear its warmth may be contributing to the Greenhouse -Eeffect. And as her brain moved faster than her sweet little mouth can manage to keep up (because she's very bright), she has this adorable little stutter when she gets really excited.

When I enter the room, Laura literally BOUNDS across the room and LEAPS into my arms for a hug. Ad there she stays for a good LONG time, just sqeezing my neck, content only in being near me and forgetting whatever glorious task she had previously been constructing.

And when I am having a difficult day, if Laura's around, she provides me with a truckload of Laura Therapy that is just the ticket to lifting the woes. Yesterday Laura wanted me to read some books to her. So she gathered a lap-full of board books and we sat down to read them. One was about Jesus feeding the crowd from one small boys' lunch of fish and loaves.

As I was began to read, Laura asked, “Who's Jesus?” (Now I am working on perfecting this most engaging and adorable Laura voice, which really serves to bring the story to life, I think. But since you are reading this and can't hear Laura, you will have to imagine it)

“He's that guy.” I point to the man in the blue robe with long brown hair and a beard. “He's God's son.”

I continue to read. And then (stuttering with awe and excitement),

“Amy, Amy, Amy....Did, did, did you know that Jesus is in hewe?” She says pointing at her own chest. “ And he makes me bettew?” (I should also explain here that Laura has some trouble saying her “r's”)

“Yes I did, Laura. He lives in your heart.”

A pause.

Then Laura continues, almost in a whisper, eyes wide, “How's he gonna get OUT?”

So I explain to her that his body isn't in there, he is like sitting in the warm sunshine on a summer day and his warmth is like a little bit of that sunshine that is in our hearts and makes us all warm and happy. And that he's not stuck in our chest trying to get out.

“He's NOT STUCK?????”

“No, Laura, he's not stuck, but he loves you so much that he wants to be as close to you as he can get, so he puts that little warm light in your heart so he can be with you all the time.”

Laura thought for about 3 seconds, then she looked up at me with her big bright brown Laura eyes and grinned. And what was left of my heart melted away right then and there in that rocking chair.

So Laura can trust me to give her the straight up on the locale of God's son and whether or not he's stuck inside her anatomy, and in return I can trust her to take a very difficult day and melt off all the rough edges and fill them with sunshine and sparkle and power hugs.

So far she's batting a thousand. I hope I can keep up.


You can read more about Laura and her amazing family at farmsuitenest.blogspot.com.