Sophia's Game

“Wisdom oft comes out of the mouths of babes.”
-George R.R. Martin

Our grandchildren and their parents were visiting with my husband and I on Father’s Day. We had just finished eating brunch. The adults were relaxing, sitting and standing around the dining and kitchen area, chatting.

Through the windows you could see sunlight shining on the leaves of the trees in the back yard. It reflected light onto the floor, where the two boys were playing with blocks.

My 8-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, plunked herself down in front of me at the dining room table. Her light brown hair curled around her face, escaping from the ponytail at the back of her head. She grinned and said, “Ask me a question. If I get the answer, I get a point. If I can’t answer it, you get a point.”

Sophia loves to make up games. She sets the rules in her favor and then she wins. I guess she figures if it’s her game and she makes up the rules, she should win. Good 8-year-old logic.

 “OK,” I answered. I thought for a minute and figured I’d stump her. “What is the purpose of life?”

She looked at me directly, her brown eyes intent. Her reply was immediate. “To be a good person,” she said. Then she laughed at the surprised expression on my face. “One point for me! Ask me another.”

I thought again. I wasn’t going to make it easy for her, and I was curious to see what she would say.  “What does God look like?” I asked.

Another immediate answer, “No one knows. God is everywhere.”
“Good answer, Sophia,” I said, smiling. 
 “I get another point! Ask me again!” She was really warming up now.

“How can I be happy?” I asked, sure I’d catch her.

“Do nice things for people.” She laughed, delighted with herself. “That’s ten points for me!”

I wasn’t sure about her math but let it go. Then I looked around at the rest of the family. “Help! I need some more questions.”

Her Dad was standing at the kitchen counter checking his phone. He looked up and asked her, “What’s the most important thing in the world?”

“To be a good person,” she answered.

Perhaps I should have called her on giving an answer over again, but it was such a good answer.

Her Mom, sitting at the dining room table, asked, “How do I be a good person?”

Instant reply from Sophia, “You can start by opening the door for someone even if you don’t know them. You could smile and say, ‘I hope you have a great day.’ Then, when you’re in a drive-through you buy something for the person in back of you so they get it for free.’”

We nodded and agreed with her.

“Twenty points!” She laughed and added, “More questions!”

With the score rising rapidly, her mother asked, “What’s the best way to connect with another person?”

“Through words and not talking loud.”

We all laughed. Sophia pouted. “I’m not trying to be funny.”
Evidently, this was serious stuff we were into.

“What’s the best way to make a friend?” Asked her Mom.

“Ask them, can you please be my friend?”

“The direct approach. I like it,” I said. Then, because I had to know, “What do Gramma’s do?”

“They take care of you if your mother goes far away.”

“What do Grandpa’s do?”

“They are very important because they are very good at things they’ve been working at for a long time and they are very nice.”

Her mother asked, “What do brothers do?”

“They play, play, play and don’t like to help with cleaning.”

“What do sisters do?”

“They like to read books and exercise. It’s very fun.”

And then I asked. “What do Daddy’s do?”

“They work. They sometimes have time to play with you and they call themselves ‘The King,” on Father’s Day.”
​
She won the game of course.  

 

This is Sophia happily showing us her handmade doll.  If you are interested in knowing more about  beautiful dolls like this one, visit Golden Rosy Studio on-line. This is Sophia's mother's website where she sells gorgeous dolls similar to the one in the picture, each one lovingly handsewn and unique.