Such Different Souls

I have one granddaughter who is an old soul.  We knew before she was six months of age.  She looked me square in the eye with this penetrating gaze as if to say, “If you only knew.”  It reminded me of the commercial in which the animated baby sings, “Nobody knows the trouble I seen.”

 She has a fraternal twin sister who is definitely not an old soul.  This is clearly her first time on the planet and she is quite convinced it exists only for her pleasure.  When the planet does not behave as she demands, she screams for it to fall into submission.  It hasn’t worked yet, but that does not stop her from trying.  Her sister just stares at her, as if to say, “If you only knew.”

This Little Old Soul seems extraordinarily aware of things I just figured out last Thursday.  She knows it is not about her.  She knows you must be cautious and careful because everyone has an agenda.  She knows to study a person carefully before engaging in any meaningful way.  Her fixed stare is judge and jury, and it is infallible.  I take her with me when choosing a car mechanic, a financial advisor, or someone to cut my hair.  “This’ll look great on you!” the stylist says with a buoyant flair.  Little Old Soul shoots a glance, “She got her beauty license over the Internet – run, run for the hills.”  Her sister would watch them color my hair purple, then laugh hysterically.  Like I said, she’s new to the planet.

Little Old Soul sat at my desk in the study and gave me the evil eye when I walked in to dust the bookshelf.  She was “writing” on my desk calendar – Sanskrit, or some ancient language acquainted with Sufi wisdom.  When the month was over I kept the page.  Archeologists will be interested. On the other hand her sister is fixated with lollipops – green lollipops.  She holds a fistful (hey, what are grandparents for?) with this toothy grin, “I am the queen, and my subjects do as I say!”  Poor thing does not have a clue. Two little munchkins, already with different stories to tell.  Hairs numbered like the sands of the sea, old soul and new, precious beyond measure.