Repetition Revisited

I have been reading a book (Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination by Vigen Guroian) about how fairy tales, and other such fantasy tales, teach children morals. It is really fascinating, though I've only read through the third chapter so far. The author looks at such stories as Pinocchio, The Velveteen Rabbit, Bambi, The Narnia Chronicles, and others. But something that has really challenged my outlook of my children is a section in the introduction that addresses repetition. The author (Guroian) is quoting another author (Chesterton) so hopefully it isn't confusing.

"Chesterton observes that when we grow up we tend to think that repetition is a sign of deadness, "like a piece of clockwork. People feel that if the universe were personal it would vary, if the sun were alive it would dance." To the contrary, "variation in human affairs is generally brought into them, not by life, but death; by the dying down or breaking off of their strength or desire. A man varies his movements because of some slight element of failure or fatigue." Whereas repetition, far from signifying monotony and deadness, may signify delight, desire, and vitality. "A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence of life. Because children have unbounding vitality, because they are spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, 'Do it again'" because there is such delight in that thing or activity. "It may be," Chesterton concludes "that God made every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be He has the eternal appetite of infancy, for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore." (Quoted from Gilbert K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy)

The idea that variation comes through personal fatigue, or the death of one's desire, is really challenging my thinking. That repetition is a sign of life and vitality, versus my own ideas of monotony of doing the same thing over and over. The idea of repetition bringing joy? WOW!

As a mother of 4 I've come to know children like repetition, but I admit to seeing it as somewhat annoying to have to read the story over and over or play the same game time after time. I'd never thought of repetition happening because the thing or action delights, energizes, and makes one happy. So this past weekend I really payed attention to when my kids wanted repetition-- Olivia wanted to be a part of every bath or shower anyone was taking because she loves being in the water; Austin telling Kurt and I about the highlights of playing his Lego Star Wars Wii game over and over because he's excited about the things he's been able to do; Nyah playing--jumping in her moon boots, running round and round the hall, sledding over and over the same place even though its not a big hill because she loves to be active and moving; Jolie wanting to be held and played with because she loves that time with me; and (my favorite) reading a picture dictionary book with Olivia, laughing as we point back and forth "Horse, Zebra, Horse, Zebra, Horse, Zebra, Horse, Zebra."

Now, I haven't quite worked out how this applies to laundry or dishes. Certainly there is the satisfied feeling with work being accomplished for a time, but hardly "delight." But I think I'll appreciate my kids desires for repetition, and I'm going to challenge myself to providing opportunities for repetition by being willing to particiapte--reading that story again and again.