Meera’s Taylor “Swift”

Since the start of the fall semester there have been several occasions when we’ve needed a babysitter just for Meera. Meera’s at home on Fridays this semester (at daycare Monday through Thursday), but I’m not always able to “work from home” (i.e., frantically cram in a day’s worth of work into Meera’s naptime) for the full day. Often a meeting will pop up that I can’t miss, or a deadline will be looming that I just can’t push out any further. In times like those, Taylor has come to the rescue!

Taylor is one of my favorite Lehigh students. She has taken a couple of courses with me and I’ve always had this gut feeling that she and Meera would really hit it off. Taylor is the perfect babysitter for Meera: she’s creative, imaginative, theatrical, artistic, and she seems to have a bottomless ability to play “princesses” or “dollhouse” or “dress up” or “fairies” for hours and hours and hours. Topping it off: she’s a fashionista, just like Meera. They compliment each other on their outfits, their hair, their nails. They watch princess movies and then act out the parts with princess figurines while playing “castle.” They do dramatic improvisation together with baby dolls and toy strollers and cribs and stuffed animals. They are both strong, beautiful, brilliant, creative, kind-hearted, warm girls. They are perfect for each other!

The funniest thing is that Meera insists on calling Taylor “Taylor Swift.” We are pretty sure that Meera actually believes that Taylor is Taylor Swift (and the resemblance is strong enough that it wouldn’t be unreasonable for a 3-year-old to be convinced that the two Taylors are actually one in the same). Meera loves the music of Taylor Swift (the singer), and loves the person Taylor “Swift” (the babysitter). And she’s pretty protective— if you refer to Taylor (the babysitter) as simply “Taylor,” Meera gets real upset and corrects you, demanding that you say it again as “Taylor Swift.”

What makes Taylor extra special for Meera is that she’s all hers. Taylor doesn’t come to babysit for Kyle and Owen— she comes just for Meera. Taylor makes Meera feel extra special. And, I mean, really, how special is that?!— Meera’s babysitter is Taylor “Swift”!