We finished The Secret Garden in our read-aloud time recently.  I liked it much more than I thought I would.

I fell in love with one of the lesser characters.  Mrs. Sowerby.  I found myself not only wanting to sip tea in the cottage with her, but wanting to be her.

She had so many children.  She baked.  She had a cottage.  She stood up to powerful wealthy people when she was decidedly neither.

She loved not only her own children, but these two nearly orphaned kids as well.

And my favorite chapter of the book was the one where she listened to her son.  Really listened.  And then commented to him to let the two children laugh.  The two that had so very little to laugh about.

It was a good reminder.  One that I will paint on my wall.  And in my memory.

Because sometimes I don’t.

I stop them in the midst of their play for chores.  For school.  Just because I don’t want to hear the chaos anymore.

But I don’t want to cut that time short anymore.

I want to remember to..

let them laugh.