Change

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about change. I don’t need to tell you that society has experienced abundant and dramatic change over the last two-three years, and it continues. I’m struck by the paradox of hope for emergence from the pandemic, and despair by world events. We all are. Kids are too.

Change is a big theme in Vivian. It circulates all around the protagonist throughout the story. The pain associated with the unraveling of her parent’s relationship (talk about change), is compounded by the unknowns and uncomfortable adjustments she experiences throughout the book’s setting of life early in the pandemic. So, world affairs in the form of a pandemic are daily stressors for Vivian, creating an additional layer of constant anxiety to all that is going on for her at home.

Sound familiar?

Fortunately, as we experienced recently in our world – science wins out, and day to day life starts to feel better for Vivian and her friends as the limitations of the pandemic begin to ease. Phew.

But here we are now – The world just took “scary” up a few notches. Life for us has changed for the better, but for many others elsewhere, much the opposite. 

I sometimes think about what I would say to Fifth grade Vivian if I was her dad, and we were experiencing these life events together. My instinct as a parent is to try and shield her from the news, but I want to be available to her if she wants to talk about it. I mean, Vivian is getting news feeds in so many different ways on various devices and through multiple mediums, it’s not like she doesn’t know what’s happening in the world. So I would talk to her, of course, but not talk down to her. What I have learned more and more as a parent, and a kid lit writer, is that kids are really smart. They can spot sugarcoating, or worse, condescension, a mile away and they will shut that out. Oftentimes, they know more about what’s happening locally or globally than they let on. So I would talk about the world with Vivian. The injustices of it. The fear I have as her dad about an uncertain future in this world that we will eventually leave her with.

Right now, the world doesn’t look too good, but I would put it all out there. Probably over an ice cream cone – a big one with lots of candy and sprinkles on top to help it all go down better. I think she could handle it. I think she deserves to know that there are bad people out there, and we need to find ways to combat the dark forces.

But here’s my thing. I am by nature, an optimist. It’s hard-wired in me. It actually fuels my outlook on life as well as my writing. A Bit About Vivian takes on some tough subjects in the form of family struggles. But it is kindness that comes to the rescue – kindness through friendships and family. It is kindness that is the energy source of strength. It is kindness that saves Vivian, and she in turn uses it to save her world around her. That is the point of the book.

So, as I picture myself enjoying my personal ice cream favorite (Oreo cookie with chocolate sprinkles) with my fictional daughter Vivian, I know what I would say after addressing all of the big scary in the world.

It never totally goes away.

But neither do the beautiful things.

I would point at the line for ice cream on our shared warm, sunny day together. You can see people’s smiles now, where up until very recently you couldn’t. Families and friends are there together, some holding hands. The high school kid behind the counter greets them with a smile too, because how can you not smile at a kid ordering a massive candy filled bowl or cone of her favorite scoops. That high school kid can probably have a prom this spring. The moms and dads may see someone in line they know, perhaps for the first time in a long time, and stop to visit. We would probably see a team roll in. All twelve boys or girls coming in for ice cream after a game. Shared uniforms. Shared team experience.

There is always laughter where there is ice cream.

These are good things, so take a moment to celebrate them – just know them when you see them. That’s the big point for Vivian. See the beauty in the little things around you. When you add them all up, they are what keep us all going, and help us through the darkness.

One large scoop for me please.