Not a Self-Portrait

     This is me, Grandma Nib of Nib's End. Girlybird made this portrait of me when she was a preschooler. A rather striking resemblance too. When I asked her why my left arm is so crooked, she said it is because I am getting ready to hit the mouse. Can you see the mouse? That black speck in the lower right-hand corner may look like an insect to you, but it is almost as big as my shoe. I am winding up like Popeye after he has eaten a can of spinach, and, despite the look of terror on my face, I am going to despatch that threatening rodent straightaway. Thwack!

     There are those scattered moments throughout your life when you are given the opportunity to see yourself through another's eyes. Sometimes those moments are flattering, sometimes they are not. I realize there is a measure of idealism in young children, but in their simplicity they are often the curators of the obvious. Perhaps my granddaughter sees me as more courageous than I see myself. It is nice to feel like someone's hero now and then.