A box of 100 generic band-aids costs about $2 at Wal-mart. That's...2 whole pennies each.
When I was little and my parents kindly reminded me that I was wasting my dad's money whenever I didn't finish my food, I used to envision dollar bills swooshing right out of his wallet that sat on top of his tall dresser at the very moment I cowered at the kitchen sink and secretly dumped my soggy cereal down the drain...I was terrified.
Since those days (even though my imagination is much more tame now), I still tend to notice when pennies disappear...and try to avoid that experience. It keeps me in my comfort zone.
So, naturally when my older children were younger, there had to be blood gushing out of them somewhere in order for me to cough up a 2-cent band-aid from the first aid stash. Band-aids don't grow on trees, ya know.
But then I started to study brains and such. As I gained a clearer picture of emotional health, I started paying closer attention to my simple interactions with my children. And I recognized a need to identify a few of my personal "issues" (like severe penny-pinching, eh-em)...and work through them so I could have a more balanced mind for my children's sake.
I think I'm making at least some progress because...I was bustling around the kitchen one recent evening when Cienna (child #5) entered and asked for a band-aid...a small circular one to be exact. I saw no signs whatsoever of even a pretend injury and quickly and quite naturally dismissed her pleas. But when she politely asked a second time, I paused and sensed a spirit of adventure about her. I decided that $ 0.02 was worth investing in her growing mind, and I became quite curious to discover what her imagination would choose to do with that band-aid.
A few minutes later, I heard Cienna happily carrying on a complete conversation between her and an imaginary friend. Then a camera flash caught my attention as she posed for a few self-portraits:
I don't think I could put a price tag on that.
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