This is Buddy's drawing of ME peering at an ant farm. He did this after I drew one of him.


Before Buddy, my now six-year-old grandson, was two, he was into rockets. I cut them from construction paper and laminated them with tape. He often clutched several as he left for home. I later learned that months and years after, he still owned them. Then came cars and trains. I modeled them from Play Doh; he lined them up to admire. I tried to encourage him to try his hand at creating, but he wasn't ready.

By the time he discovered fish, he was able to tell me exactly what size to draw, what color, and how he wanted them to look. Again we laminated, and he took his prized fish home. Eventually he became frustrated that I couldn't create the exact fish he wanted. And finally - after I said "show me" 903 times - he tried his hand at drawing. He showed frustration at first but soon seemed satisfied that his fish were better than mine. Joy! For both of us. I was proud. He has been drawing every day since then. His focus and effort often inspire me to work harder toward my own goals. We have hundreds of his art pieces. I think he considers himself an artist, and I am, again, proud.

Yesterday, when we picked him up from school, Buddy showed Papa and me a schoolyard ant hill. Since a current fascination is bugs, he wanted to collect some. Alas, we had no container. With plans to collect the ants later, we came home to research and make ant farms. In the process, I drew a picture of Buddy peering around our proposed project. He said, "Gaga, I think we should save this one." I loved the authority in his voice and that he wanted to keep my drawing - just like when he was very small. He left our house with it clutched in his hands. Even if it is lost on the car floor, now, I know he liked it.

This may help me past my block.