I was privileged to go to the Convivium conference in Pittsburgh and present a paper on children’s books. Convivium paid my conference fee. I got a ride from a friend. One of my regular patrons on the blog sent me a travel stipend and we had just enough that at the last minute I decided to take Rosie and Michael along. I would apply myself to looking professional at the conference, and Rosie and Michael would play in Schenley Park, visit the Phipps Conservatory and a museum or two, and count it as an extended home school field trip.
Rosie had never been on a vacation in her life– that’s what she called it, “our first family vacation.” Vacations were things she read about in picture books, things other people’s children did. She was thrilled beyond measure at the prospect of three nights in a hotel in the nearest big city. She packed her backpack days in advance, and ran to tell the good news to the Corner Friends.
Rose came home with her eyes wide, telling me that not only had her friends never had a vacation, but they had never had a day trip to Pittsburgh either. They didn’t know what the Phipps Conservatory was.
“It’s hard when you don’t have much money,” I said, and forgot the matter.
We went to the conference. Rosie played in the big playground and swam in the hotel pool. She got to spend the afternoon at the Phipps Conservatory, twice. She went to the Carnegie and saw the dinosaurs and the modern art. At the gift shop, she picked out a small bag of plastic dinosaurs and palm trees for making dioramas.
“I can give half of these to my corner friends,” Rosie said.
“You’re very generous,” I said.
“Can I get them presents for Christmas? I don’t think they get as many as I do.”
“Yes. I can take you to Dollar Tree with your allowance. Five dollars will do it. Or six if you want to treat their grandma as well.”
“Can we have a Saint Nicholas day party for them?”
“Well… we can at least bring them a tray of cookies.”
“When we get a car, and if we can afford it, can we take the Corner Friends to Pittsburgh for a trip they can’t afford? To the conservatory or something?”
I thought about that, because I am a grown-up. I thought about the expense and the strain of taking five amateur tumblers in addition to my own all the way to Pittsburgh, stuffing their baby in the stroller, keeping track of five unruly girls and an unruly boy completely unused to big cities. I counted the cost. I hesitated.
Then I remembered to follow my daughter’s example and think like a child instead. “Yes,” I said. “We certainly will.”
I suppose being a grown-up must have its advantages. But it’s the little child that will lead us.
(Public domain image from the Phipps Conservatory courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
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