The fancy clams with the pearl inside
Some time in the middle of October I introduced my oldest daughter to the Newsies musical on Netflix. She's 10, and I thought she'd like it. Little did I know it would become her new favorite. She gets about an hour to watch whatever she wants right before bed, and we've watched this in hour-long chunks over and over.
During the show, one of the characters talks about "the world being your erster." It's a bit that cracks her up, as his friends try to figure out what he means, until he finally says, "You know, the fancy clams with the pearl inside." Someone finally figures it out. "Oh, you mean oyster!" Groans all around.
Expanding her world
10 is a milestone birthday. I remember being so proud I was a decade old at that age. To mark this passage for her, we decided to give her a short trip anywhere in the lower 48. She went back and forth on a few different destinations before she finally decided to visit New York. It was just the two of us, and we did all the tourist things. We shopped at the American Girl Experience, took the ferry out to Liberty and Ellis Islands, saw The Lion King, and crisscrossed Central Park visiting museums.
She rode the subway, experienced her first flight, and trekked all over New York by foot.
While we did this, my wife stayed home and took care of our youngest two. All while battling pneumonia. Did I mention our youngest is six months old? She's a trooper.
It was a lot of work and effort from all of us, but it was worth it to broaden her horizons and show her a bigger slice of what you can experience in this world.
A world full of oysters
"The world is your oyster" is something I've heard all my life. Here's the thing about oysters, not everyone holds a pearl. Instead of teaching my kid the world holds one potential priceless possibility, I want to show her the world is full of oysters. Pick one up, pry it open, and see if you like what you find inside.
Go out, find the possibilities. Don't settle for the things that are obvious or easy. It's a lesson I need, and it could be a good one for you too, dear reader. Right now our family is going through a big period of change, mostly around my career.
Crack open the next oyster and see what you find.