but, I can’t fly…

My daughter has been asking for butterfly wings.

Green butterfly wings.

“I want butterfly wings momma.”

So I ordered her some.

And tonight, after hurting her eye, while I was comforting her I decided to give them to her. She recognized what they were immediately, still in the wrapper.

We put them on as her tears turned to excitement.

Then nothing.

Her face got sad.

Disappointed.

“…but…..I can’t fly” she said.

silence……………………………………………………

My heart broke in that moment.

I destroyed her dream.   Her fantasy that having butterfly wings would make her fly was shattered and she was left with nothing but wire, glitter and fabric.  And a healthy dose of reality.

She wallowed in that sadness for awhile.

Confused.

Trying to sort it out.

I explained that she had to pretend to fly because she was still Abby, not a butterfly.  I flittered around the room pretending I was a butterfly, showing her that her pretty wings made it easier to pretend to fly.

She caught on eventually.  Running through the house flapping her arms and saying “I’m a butterfly.”

But I am still left feeling like I broke something inside her.  I feel like I should have left well enough alone and not spent the $2 on the wings.

Like she was better off imagining that all she needs to fly is a little wire, glitter and fabric….