Joy

Today, Netta is five! Her exuberance, resilience, and contagious laughter light up the world around her every day.

Netta has loved to draw since she was little. Her fine detail, especially the emotions of her characters, have drawn praise from many directions. I adore her free, expressive drawings. In the past six months, though, Netta has expressed frustration with her drawing skills. She stopped drawing. Thinking of the joy she gets from drawing - as well as the joy I get from her drawing, and from my own drawing - I've tried to entice her, with how-to drawing books, different art materials, and drawing games. Nothing really worked. Recently, I've been telling myself that if she never draws again, that's okay, too. In the past few days, though, she's started drawing. I hesitate to make any grand pronouncements, but I hope I'm giving her the time and space to explore what gives her joy on her own schedule.