A boy, a bead, Coco Chanel.

Sometimes even jewelers have to take a brief holiday to go look for crabs on the seashore.

Would you like to make jewelry with me?
he asked cheerfully.

Hmm,
I said distractedly, looking at his supplies,
what materials do we have to work with?

He perused his selection, a process I am quite certain he had already done to completion 80-100 times over the previous hour. He looked up.

Well,
he said,
I’m doing jewelry making with yarn and beads.

Like your older sis?
I hazarded a guess.

He nodded.

Cool!
I said.
Umm, yeah, I’d love to do jewelry making with you, but, uhh, looks like you only have one bead!

He looked down carefully again and did a recount.
He looked up at me,

and his expression is one I must seer into memory for the times I need extra resilience and hope.

He took a deep breath and smiled bigger, holding up his solitary bead in one hand and mass of yarn in the other.

It’s okay,
he said.
We can just use yarn.

Fine.
I said.
But we before we make jewelry with yarn and a bead, I could use a hug. Deal?

We sealed the deal and got to work.

more posts below about Age 4