Let me remind you that this is the same girl that cries over a dead mouse and believe me, there's no pity in this Mama's heart for that. Safe to say she knew who would pity those tears that flow so freely and so Daddy brought home this wonderful gray gift along with our daughter one afternoon.
This ball of gray fur was named "Nip" and he has been a very treasured friend for my sweet, precious daughter. She has spent hours and hours loving on him, and in return, the Lord has blessed her endlessly with a devoted pet that follows her everywhere.
In all this sweetness, here's what I've learned. I've read many books on relationships and child-rearing and what have you, but I tend to take what I can use/agree with and I dump the rest of the information. Years and years ago I had read the "5 Love Languages" for children. I cannot remember specifics, but I do know children need all five items in their lives to grow but eventually one or two will stand out as they become older. I've watched for those things and try to implement them to each child specifically that speaks love to them personally if I've noticed something.
Here's where Nip comes into this picture. It's obvious that he is a very treasured love for Lia, and in that love she feels, she wants to gift him. Continuously. I've now taken note and I will keep it in mind. Now it makes sense as she's always gifting her friends with handmade items as well. And she treasures anything I make for her too. Little items I buy spontaneously at the store will prompt a thank you for three days. When her Daddy traveled, he would buy her a stuffed cat; a different one each time he went away. She adamantly refuses to reduce the number of stuffed animals she has because they are from Daddy. Gifts. Lia speaks and hears with gifts.
So, back to Nip. She's made handmade toys for him. Nip has dutifully played with them. She has made handmade necklaces and collars. She's handmade hats for him. I assure you, this cat has sat through these gifts and blinked at my daughter with kitty cat adoration in his eyes and purred while she decorated him. I'm in awe over that, but I am serious. I've seen that with my own eyes.
So last night, the family is watching a movie and I ask Krista, "Where's Lia?". Krista laughs and says she saw Lia downstairs with some fabric and Nip and she's making him an outfit. An unsympathetic "You're kidding!" escaped my lips and then we all broke out laughing. We laugh because we can all picture this. My precious girl and her gifts. To further confirm the happenings downstairs, I see a fast paced Nip run up the stairs and head down to my bedroom. I guess that cat has grown some sort of self respect.
Shortly after, I see a bright eyed Lia come upstairs and ask if I've seen Nip. We all again laugh and I let her know he was hiding from her. She emphatically declared he wouldn't do that and he was just purring a minute ago and he needed to try on her gift. With much amusement, I had to see her gift on Nip too. Let me extend my apologies to you now that I did not get a photo of it. I wish I had. It was hilarious.
She made him a wonderfully built blue vest that was fully decked out with pom poms and trim. When she put it on him, he did not look at her with adoration in his kitty eyes. I do think he glared a little, and then fell over. Lia put him on his feet and he slinked away. I think he was trying to get away while the getting was good. She laughed and declared he was tired.
This afternoon, she told me that she didn't think the vest was a big hit with Nip (yes, I held my laughter. Aren't you proud?) and so she made him a bed instead with some fabric that was his very favorite. Yes, she said that to me. She made a bed, a blanket, and a pillow.
I asked her if Nip liked it and she said he loved it and was in it earlier. I said I'd like to take a picture and she thought that was great and ran to get him. We placed him in the bed and he ran away. This above photo was taken as he ran. Notice he ran so fast I didn't even catch any fuzzy gray tail in the photo. Impressive.
So Lia went and gathered her love and we tried again.
Know what she said to me when this picture was taken and I showed her? She told me that Nip didn't look happy because he was under pressure to perform for the camera and that makes him nervous. I only smiled in understanding.
Do you think love really is blind?
1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
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