"That boy was catching me!"

We were at a redlight, driving away from Kaimuki Park, and she said this with delight from her carseat in the backseat.



We were watching a group of four children and what looked to be their young uncle--though I guess it was possible that he was their father--cross the street on the other side of the main drag.

"He had a 'Piderman shirt," she said.

Her face lit up as she said this, remembering how he had chased her in the park.



Maia had played with the three younger children in the park--a girl of about 7, her sister of about 5, and their brother of about 4--Maia's age. On the swings and climbing structure, but mainly on the slides.



They had played hide and seek, too, but Maia had favored, "Monster." We had played that early on, with me chasing her and the pair of sisters, but at the end of our time there, she had drafted the little boy to be the Monster.



When the older of the two sisters realized that we would be leaving soon, she wanted to know if Maia and I were coming back that afternoon. She liked playing with her.







Maia came up to me at the computer as I was previewing this, and her face lit up again when she saw the pictures just above this.

Maia just likes to have fun. There are moments that are hard for her--frustration is not something that she deals with very well. But her love of fun and clowning are touchstones.

Lately, when I've thought of Maia in relation to other children, what has struck me is how gifted she is--how smart and clever, how fortunate to have such a strong sense of humor and fun. I hope she never loses that. The ear?--well, there are maladies and afflictions far worse.

I hope she come to believe that, too.

John, Sunday, October 22, 2006