I LOVE children's books. So much so in fact, that I recently had a complete meltdown when I thought my parents inadvertently sold at a garage sale the stash I'd saved since childhood for my own children. Despite the fact "The Princess and the Pea," and "There's a Nightmare in My Closet," among other faves are safe and sound on my bookshelf patiently waiting to be dusted off, it's no surprise I've already begun buying children's books.
Take today for example. Aroma Cafe in the valley has the most adorable bookstore and I couldn't pass up a gorgeous sunny yellow hardback that screamed to be read. Called "Fortune Cookies" by Albert Bitterman, the adorably and sweetly illustrated book takes us through a week's worth of fortunes that predict a likable little girl's daily happenings:
Yesterday I got a box in the mail.
It had seven fortune cookies in it.
On Sunday, my fortune said (then you pull out the tab to read, Tomorrow you will loose something you don't need)
And guess what? (Turn the page)
My tooth came out!
It goes on to build on this fortune with six others, all expertly woven together:
Money is like the wind
Try to find the good with the bad
Don't hide your feelings
Good things come to those who wait.
Be careful what you wish for
Seven is your lucky number.
I'm sure it's the pregnancy hormones kicking in, but I was so enthralled with the sweetness of the book and the image in my mind of me reading to a sweet little child, that I hastily made my way to the register before I could change my mind.
But in classic Dawn fashion, the over-analyzer kicked in as I was being rung up. I heard the voice in my head asking, "What message is this teaching your child?" "Are fortune cookies biblical?" "Are you teaching him/her to be superstitious?" "Don't you want your child to know all blessings come from the Lord, and only He knows our future?" "Are you teaching pre-determinism or free will?" "What the heck do I believe anyway?"
Reluctant to return it, I quickly counterpointed. For starters, do I really want to be THAT parent? You know, the one that not only bans refined sugars and transfats, but Harry Potter and Halloween to boot? Besides, when our little one is old enough to understand more complex concepts, this could be an excellent tool to teach him/her about other cultures; and things in the world that are games and just for fun - not something to live your life by. It could be a conversation-starter about the difference between "luck" and "blessings." But in all honestly, our child will probably be so fixated on the subplots - from the cute kitten the little girl finds, to how fun it is to build forts on rainy days - that our precious little one will most likely be protected from any potential lifelong theological scarring.
And just as I sat down to write this post, I remembered a fortune I've kept in my wallet ever since Jared and I decided to have a family. It says, "you will soon witness a miracle." There's no doubt in my mind this baby is a blessing from God and not the prediction of a cookie, but it was a beautiful moment reading that message when we were so full of hope, and I bet I hold on to it for a while for memory's sake, theology notwithstanding.
Well bless your heart for writing your thoughts. As always, when you think something, others have and will think it also. I struggled so much with Halloween and Santa this year, and have thought about the Harry Potter and like stuff - having many of the same thoughts you just shared. For us I think it's because we intend to raise our children differently than we were raised so it's unknown and we're not sure how to do this best. Finally, Tyler and I decided pretty much the conclusion you've come to here. Making sure the child knows the truth behind things, and that we as a family put focus on the truths and what holidays/days are really about, it's OK to partake in some of the worldly activity out there. And ultimately, we just pray our way through parenting and ask the Lord's guidance in how we're doing this and to make up where we leave gaps. AND I think the book is adorable :)
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