Four Year Old Awe and Wonderment

A child's perspective is amazing, and often so much different than the perspective adults have! I had a funny reminder of this the other day. Megan and I were having a familiar conversation, which we have had many times before. It started out the same way as always, but it took a different turn this time.

Megan: Did you ever have a job, Mommy?
Me: (laughing to myself, thinking how no job I've ever had is as exhausting---or rewarding---as this one) Yes, I did. I used to be a social worker.
Megan: What's a social worker?
Me: A social worker helps people with their problems. I used to help children with their problems at school.
Megan: (not impressed) Did you ever work at a store?
Me: Yes, I did. When I was in college, I worked at Target.
Megan: (eyes light up with excited wonder, gasps, and breaks out in a huge smile, as if I have just told her that I used to be a Disney Princess) TARGET?!?!?!?!?! What did you do there?
Me: I put things on the shelves, helped people find things. Sometimes I worked at the cash registers.
Megan: (again in reverent awe) Did people come in your line?!?!?!?!?

Too funny. The pinnacle of status in my daughter's world is to work at Target, and not only to work there, but to actually have people come in one's line to buy their purchases! This was a great reminder to me that sometimes we get on our "high horses" about things. In my mind, my accomplishments as a social worker far outshine my days of minimum wage and long hours in the stock room at Target. To my daughter, it's the coolest thing ever that I used to run a cash register and put things on store shelves. It's easy to forget that it really doesn't take much to impress or "wow" our kids. As moms, we often tend to place a lot of weight on the "big things" we do. We think the important things are the exciting outings, the lessons, the classes, the big birthday gifts. But it's those little things, the ones that don't seem like a big deal at the time, the ones that aren't planned, that make a lasting impression on our little ones. Long after the soccer camp, the birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, and the new dollhouse are forgotten, our children will remember the little things we did with and for them. They will remember the hugs and kisses, the one more story before bedtime, the cookie making, the silly voices we make them laugh with, the snowman we helped them build. These, more than anything else, are the things that let them know they are loved.