Go Away Dragon!

This past summer my brother, Nate, gave Seth the book Where the Wild Things Are. He is a little young to really understand the imaginative aspect of the story but he was immediately drawn to the page of Max on a boat who seems to be confronting a scary dragon in the water. I cannot tell you how many times my sister Becky re-enacted this scene with Seth throughout the course of our stay out east. Pretending he was Max, he would hold out his hand to the horrible creature, crinkle up his nose, furrow his little brow, and say with as much authority as he could muster up: "Go Away Dragon!" He absolutely LOVED acting this out...over and over and over. Well, "go away dragon" has quickly evolved into anything, really, that seth is wanting to go away in his little two year old world. From food he dislikes, to bugs, to a runny nose and the evils of constipation (yes, he has even exclaimed "go away poop" on occasion) my little guy is facing his fears, discomforts, and plain old annoyances and telling them where to go! It's humorous to watch and pretty darn cute, I must say, but I also get the feeling that Seth truly feels empowered when making this statement and I think it is working for him. Yesterday he fell down and hurt his arm. He got up, rubbed his arm, started to whimper a little, and then his expression changed. He looked down at his arm again, put on a brave face, and said in a strong voice: "Go Away Hurt!" And that was that. Done. He turned around, went looking for the next toy to play with, and was his happy little self in no time. I stood there marveling at my boy's resilience, his determination, his resolve to stand taller than his "dragons" and take control over the challenges and obstacles that come his way. I also couldn't help but think of future hurt that may come his way. Hurt feelings, a friend's betrayal, a broken heart, or even the pain of losing someone he loves. And in that moment, I prayed extra hard that the words, "Go Away Hurt," would work for him then too.

Don't you wish we could all speak to our "dragons" the way Seth does his? You really can learn a lot from a two yr. old.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged....for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2Chronicles 32:7 &8a)