I recently received a phone call from my 4 year old son.

“Hi Momma.”

“Hey Big Boy, how was your day today?”

“Good. I ate a penguin cookie today. But, it didn’t taste like a penguin. It just tasted like a cookie…”

“Oh….”

“Yeah. I thought it was going to taste like a penguin. But, it didn’t Momma.  It was just a real cookie.”

I decided not to ask him what he thought a penguin tasted like. Sure, I wanted to know, but I like the idea of him not having to label his ideas. That he can be so filled with wonder, curiosity and possibly confusion, about something as simple as a penguin shaped cookie.

I want to encourage that.

It didn’t feel like a learning moment.

It didn’t feel like he needed to be corrected.

He will be corrected his entire life.

He will be put on the spot.  He will be asked to choose alliances.  He will be told his instincts are wrong. He will be criticized.

But, not now.

For now we live life wondering what penguins will taste like.

Personally I hope they taste like cheesecake.