Reflections Contest: Your best, your favorite, and who's this for anyway.

When the notice for the reflections contest showed up in Alexa's backpack, I thought, "Great!  This is something Alexa would love to do." So, I told her about it and was surprised when she chose photography.  She's never taken a picture in her life, but hey, nothing like the present.  So, I explain the topic, "diversity means..." very broadly as there are differences in everything (because I don't want to influence her) and then send her out to the backyard to take pictures. 
      
The first few pictures I help her hold the camera steady, move her fingers out of the way of the flash, and look through the view finder.  Then she is off and 40 pictures later the camera battery is dead and we have enough good pictures of flowers, and trees, and apples, and butterflies.

Fast Forward a few days.

It's the day before the entry is due and I need to get the pictures printed.  I ask Alexa which one she wants to use.  She chooses the weeds at the bottom of the grapevine.  This is not my choice.  The proud Momma inside me wants to ask her to look through the pictures again and choose something nicer.  Instead I ask, "Are you sure?"  "MOooom," she says in that 5-year-old "what do You think" tone.  So, we need a statement.  I think that something like "Diversity means there is beauty in everything" might be nice with her picture.  Alexa's statement is "Diversity means every picture I took was different and this one was the best." I disagree but keep my mouth shut.

After Alexa leaves for school, I call Kyle, who laughs heartily at Alexa's choice and statement and then gently reminds me, "Who's this for anyway?"