Crayons and Disney Prinsesses

There's something about a new box of crayons that has always fascinated me. I treat the new crayons with reverence and make sure not to press too hard when using them. I try to keep them pointy as long as possible. I only use the new ones for detailed work; old ones will suffice to color the sky and the grass; the new ones must be used for faces and dresses. I've always been that way and I believe that I always will.

Today I got out some Disney Princess coloring books, an almost new box of crayons, and my Disney station on Pandora. There's something about doing something that I used to do as a child that brings me joy. Memories come up, and for a moment, I'm a child again, coloring Ariel's hair bright red. I'm listening to the music of the only kind of movies that I watched back then, singing Under the Sea and Be Our Guest.

My three younger sisters and I looked at all of the old pages in our coloring books, pages with careful coloring and interesting color choices. We tried to remember who drew what so that we could label the pictures. It's amazing how I can remember so clearly what I drew. I also got pretty good at identifying who drew what based on drawing style. My sister Rebecca always used unexpected colors (and generous amounts of blush). Elisabeth most likely wasn't quite as careful in finishing every last detail, unlike Abigail, who colored the whole pages carefully and with a heavy coat of crayon. I have always been the careful one, coloring precisely and completely. I color lightly and with soft colors.

Sometimes I want to go back to being a little girl again. I want to play Barbies with Rebecca and watch The Incredibles, thinking that this qualifies as an action movie. I want to play House in the backyard during the fall, pretending that leaves and grass makes soup. I miss tickle fights and reading American Girl books. I miss a lot of things about being little.

But at the same time, I also love being sixteen. I love being able to stay up late watching real action movies. I love baking desserts and being big enough to put them in the oven. I love wearing make up and going to formals. My relationship with God has grown so much. I can drive and type and do so many things that I couldn't do as a little girl.

What makes me sad, though, is when people grow up too fast. You only get to be eight once, don't waste it pretending that you're ten. I'm only going to be sixteen once, and I'm determined not to waste it. I'll have plenty of time to be an adult later. For now, I'm going to be sixteen.

But no matter how old I am, I will never be too old to listen to Disney movies with coloring in my princess books.

Hannah