One day, when Fox was really tired from cooking, cleaning, taking care of everything and everyone, she collapsed into her armchair and said to herself: “Oh, how I’d love to have a cup of tea and a nap afterwards.Or just a nap.Or maybe just tea because I still have to go to the store.”
Out of nowhere her Dragon friend appeared and asked her why doesn’t she just?
Have the tea. Take the nap. “Do you need permission for that?” he asked.
Fox pondered for a bit and then she realised that yes, it did feel like she needed permission for that.
For anything almost. For the way she dressed, joked, did things for herself, for pretty much just being who she really was. And there was no one to give it to her. Which was crazy, she thought, but also rather understandable, given that she was raised in a very bureaucratic place.
Dragon was observing her and then said, “Look Fox, not that you need permission for any of these things, but I have a friend here,” and he reached into his pocket and took out a very unusual little box.
The box was small but somehow, when opened, there was a big, old, almost vintage-looking office in it. It had shelves, drawers with documents, a small desk with lots of stamps, a tiny bed in a corner, and a furry little creature that looked half sleepy and half eager to do something.
“Meet Pippo Papalini,” said Dragon.
“I found him near the old courthouse archive one day. Don’t ask why I was there. He told me he quit his job as a clerk because everyone was so obsessed with paperwork, rules, regulations, proceedings, documenting everything, checking if what they did was correct at all times, that they simply forgot how to live. How to enjoy their life. And because that was kind of contagious, he decided he would get away from there.
He still loved documents, though, and stamps and the proper little procedures, but only for the things most people called unimportant, because in his little heart, he knew they were absolutely not.
I loved him immediately, this big-hearted little chap, so I asked him if he’d hang out with me and he was more than happy to do so. I have him in my pocket now. We chat and laugh a lot.”
Fox was absolutely puzzled now. She felt Pippo’s kindness but still, why did Dragon bring him here?
In that very moment, Pippo took a little sheet of very old-looking paper and wrote something on it. Then, he took a big stamp and stamped it. His biggest delight was signing it.
With sparks in his eyes he gave the document to Fox.
It read,
Permission to ____________________ (insert what you need for yourself)
APPROVETH & STAMPETH
Signed: Pippo Papalini
Fox couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of this situation but also, she couldn’t believe how this laughter made her feel lighter again, more of herself again.
She thanked Pippo and Dragon with a grin and went into the kitchen to make some tea.
When she returned, Dragon and Pippo weren’t there but the little document was still on the table and Fox put it on her fridge to not forget that permissions can be tiny but powerful. Especially the ones we grant to ourselves.