By Astrid Lindgren
Original copyright 1950
Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim’s
Daughter Longstocking (Pippi, for short) lives with her pet monkey Mr. Nilsson
in a big old house with an overgrown garden.
Pippi is only nine years old, but has no mother or father or anyone else
to tell her what to do, how to dress, or what to eat. She considers herself quite lucky in this
regard and takes full advantage of her independence. Outrageous conversations and adventures abound
in this tale of Pippi Longstocking.
Besides Mr. Nilsson, Pippi often has her next door neighbors, Annika and
Tommy, to keep her company.
Pippi’s life is full of imagination and completely lacking
in rules. What child wouldn’t find that
intriguing? With her super-human
strength and over confidence, every day becomes an adventure. Even with no adults telling her what to do,
Pippi still manages to care for herself and her home. She just doesn’t necessarily do it in a
conventional way. When it’s time to
scrub the kitchen floor, Pippi straps scrubbing brushes onto her feet and
gleefully skates around the room, splashing and laughing.
My lesson from Pippi is this: Find joy in the mundane tasks in life. Pippi looks at scrubbing day as a chance to
have fun. Dreading that weekly grocery
shopping trip? How about looking for
some brand new and interesting food you’ve never tried before? Don’t want to dust? How about taking that time to remember fun
stories of the people and places where those dusty items came from? It may not be as exciting as skating with
scrub brushes on your feet, but it can make the drudgery a little more
inspiring!
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