Vivi and Harpo

There is a great episode of I Love Lucy that guest stars Harpo Marx.  At one point Lucy and Harpo reenact the classic mirror scene from the Marx brothers film.  There are moments during the scene where Lucy and Harpo are surprised that their "reflection" actually just did what they did.  It is that genuine look of surprise that is so comical and so very hard to achieve.  Having taken a clowning class in college-don't laugh, it was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken-  Shakespeare was a breeze compared to clowning-I have some experience in doing mirroring scenes.  But I got my best lesson yet last night.

Vivi was  having an interesting night that was spurred by a combination of being over tired and hungry.  Too tired to both sleep and eat.  She would go from being giggly and happy to being very very sad and upset. (side note: No matter how upset she is, if I stand her on my belly she will start laughing).  I could tell that she wanted to be happy but then would remember that she was supposed to be sad so back again came the tears.  At one point I held her up to the full length closet mirror to look at herself.

She has noticed herself in the bathroom mirror before, but this was the first time that she really took interest in her reflection.  She stopped crying and just stared at herself for a bit.  She then moved her hand and almost jumped out of my arms with shock when her reflection moved her hand too.  She then moved her head and watched the same happen in the mirror.  Again moved the hand.  And then the arm.  And then came the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face.  She was so happy and could not stop testing her reflection.  She was so intrigued and curious by the time that I pulled her away she had made a very close friend. 

From a student's perspective it made me wish I could go back to class and show off a new angle on the mirror exercise.  I had never seen such genuine shock and then pure happiness from seeing one's reflection before.  It was a very magical moment.