A Real Friend To Someone

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. 

Who said that?

I'll look it up later. 

The soul of a person contains what those eyes see. 

And by seeing what they see, what the voice then says. 

And what the heart feels. 

Children are joyful to watch.

You have to STOP and really watch. 

Stop rushing so much and just watch already! 

See their world through their innocent eyes. 

Eyes that haven't seen anything yet. 

And how they interpret what you've seen hundreds of times...a leaf, a police car, a banana. 

Sometimes kids see things, or someone, that we won't ever see. 

We won't get to interpret it for the first time.

Because it doesn't exist.

An imaginary friend. 

My daughter used to have an imaginary friend. 

Before she had a sister named Gigi, Zoe had a friend named Fajanna. 

I really have no idea how to spell her name. 

It's pronounced something like "Fah-jahn-na."

Fajanna would come over for dinner and I would set out an extra place for her.

And talk to her. 

She loved spaghetti. 

She would call Zoe on the phone.

I wonder if she's gone on vacation with us?

Fake kids always are the cheapest to take out of town. 

Zoe has never really described Fajanna to us. 

If I remember, I have asked her and her response was "she just looks like Fajanna."

Ummm, okay. 

Not helpful. 

Zoe's eyes are older now.

And she has a sister to play with. 

But every once in a while, I hear the name. 

The name of Zoe's old gal pal Fajanna comes out of the girls' bedroom. 

She's come for a visit. 

Zoe still sees her. 

And now Gigi does, too. 

Gigi also plays with her great-great grandmother Hazel. 

Who passed away in our living room in 1953 at the age of 57. 

I wonder what Hazel thinks of Fajanna. 

And if those two will ever truly leave our lives.  

Even as our girls grow up and view the world through eyes that get older and older every day...