My five-year-old nephew Gavin is obsessed with being a pirate. When we go in public he wears a bandana and a pirate hat. He usually gets some reaction from well-meaning adults who feel like they are playing along with his dressing up when they comment, “Nice hat captain!” But I don’t think he sees it as dressing up. In his mind, he is a pirate and this is just what pirates wear.
Gavin is a unique and beloved child of God. He is free to express his own truths and be authentic. I can see that he is revealing who he really is—creative and focused.
I pray that as adults, we will celebrate and encourage all children to remain true to themselves and that we will encourage them to use the gifts that God has given them.
Today we remember Catherine of Siena, theologian, died 1380. This message is adapted from a post written by Elizabeth McBride that first appeared on the Women of the ELCA blog.