Growing Pains

So we're driving down the road yesterday and The Girl asks me to tell her the story I had told her before bed the night before, again. So I did. She thinks I made it up...but really it was an adaptation of the tear jerker, "I'll Love You Forever" childrens book. It's a story about growing up but the mother keeps the same "love" for her "baby" as he grows. She always whispers, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be." So, I tell her the story again about "the girl" who grows and grows...you get the idea.

A few moments later she's bawling in the back seat.
"What's the matter honey, are you okay?" I ask.
"Mom, I don't want to grow up!!!" she sniffs as she crys.
"Honey, its ok, you don't have to grow up for a long time." Feeling awful that my story caused such angst.
"But, if I grow up I won't be your little girl anymore..." the tears still flowing.

Then I tear up and smile. The golden moments of parenthood. To me, when a kid likes being a kid so much they want to stay that way it says something about their childhood. I'm sure we're not perfect. I'm sure we've done things to send our kids to counseling, but hooray....SHE LIKES BEING OUR KID!!!!! (freeze frame this moment and replay it when she's 13...)

Like My Girl, I didn't want to grow up. I look back on my childhood and see that it surely wasn't perfect, but man I knew I was loved unconditionally and it was fun. I was a tree climbing, ballet dancing, lemonade stand selling, rollerskating, camping out back kid. I only hope I can give my kids the same values and experiences that my parents sacrificed to give me.