I think, at a child’s birth,
if a mother could ask a fairy godmother
to endow it with the most useful gift,
that gift would be curiosity.
[Eleanor Roosevelt]

Early in my childhood, I learned not to say the words, “I’m bored,” to my mother. If I did, she’d grab a scrap of paper and make a TO DO list for me.

• Dust the plate rail
• Iron handkerchiefs and napkins
• Put away toys

That motivated me to keep my mouth shut, and make my own TO DO lists—mine were more fun. I soon discovered that curiosity is an antidote to boredom. The more I looked for something interesting to do, the more things I discovered that whet my curiosity.

Last night, I watched my daughter spin wool into yarn on her new wheel. How did it twist the fiber and wrap it onto the bobbin at the same time? I wished for a camera so I could slow the motion and study the mechanics of it. Almost everything captures my curiosity. Thank you mama for giving me the gift of curiosity.