Askance

Today I am grateful for the vocabulary of words available to me, and for Christmas cookie decorating with our grandson. 

Those two gratitudes bring together today's post title. Askance is defined as: with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval  To look askance at: to be doubtful about, insincerely, deceptively, obliquely, sideways, indirectly, out of the corner of one's eye

The word came to my mind when I took this pan of cookies out of the oven:

The cookies were random on the pan. Whatever fits. But the angel and the gingerbread cookies caught my eye and brought askance to mind. See what I mean? I smiled a little. Each cookie was perfectly imperfect in a unique way.

I was in cut-out production mode and had made a double-batch. I was using several pans, including this one that is clearly well-used. I am not one to be too particular about what the cookies look like. When our grandson Leo joined me later to decorate many of them, we really enjoyed ourselves, made a mess, tasted our work. 

Each cookie we decorated was perfectly imperfect. As I watched our grandson, a first grader, concentrate his creative efforts, I was heartened at the pleasure and pride he took in decorating each cookie. Some would look askance at our work as careless and messy. We looked at them and said "which one do I want to eat first?"

In recent times, there have been many askance glances between people; about masks, vaccinations, systemic racism, gun violence, teen mental health, politics, and so much more. The kids are the teachers again, if we let them be. They aren't born intolerant and judgmental. The adults around them teach them, either directly or indirectly, either with words and action or with silence and inaction. 

The kids say the cookies are fine as they are. Just have fun with the frosting and the sprinkles. And the eating, of course. Translated: we are each made perfectly imperfect, we each have our unique gifts to bring. Don't shut one another down. Build each other up. Don't be so busy looking for what you think is right that you miss the many things that are already right just as they are.