Lizza's Pizza

Lizza likes pizza. It's a simple as that. She eats it every day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This day will be no different. Her mom is away shopping and will cook for her when she returns, so lunch is a little delayed. Her grandmother is asleep on the couch, and Lizza is hungry. How difficult could it be to make pizza for lunch? In fact, Lizza even feels that she is helping her mother by making lunch. She attempts to cook lunch alone and is not allowed to do so. As far as Lizza is concerned, she has seen her mother make it so many times before. So, she decides to cook.

When her mother returns with groceries, she is faced with that hard "dance" of teaching Lizza the value of patience and safety while at the same time not inhibiting her independence or enthusiasm. This mom is the true champion in all of us. She tries to teach, not scold, and encourages Lizza to understand that children should not be alone with dangerous objects. When she gets more experience, she is allowed more privileges. Through humor and true understanding, Lizza realizes that certain activities are best left for when she is older, and her mother is right!

-- Eileen Thea Mammen