Hello Everyone.
Maybe by tomorrow I can get back to writting new stories. In the meantime, as I get another tissue for my now, here is a story from a little while ago.
A large part of being a parent involves the giving of guidance and direction to our children. Most conversations with a three-year-old have clear cut yes and no answers. No, you can't have chocolate for breakfast or yes, you have to wear your rubber boots because it's raining. There are times though when my three-year-old daughter just baffles me with her answers to seemingly innocuous questions.
A few days ago, at her usual bath time, I asked Neva if she wanted me to wash her hair. "Later" she said. "How much later?" I asked. "When I'm 4," was her response. I felt the crest of that wave fast approaching and all I could muster was, "We'll see..."
Today she asks: "When my fish dies, can we get a dog?" Isn't that a bit like trading in a Chevy for a Rolls Royce, I thought? "We'll see," I said.
Maybe the phrase "We'll see" is a parental safety net that keeps us from falling into conversational oblivion. I find myself using it with more and more regularity. Is my three-year-old really asking questions that I cannot answer or have I just become afraid of saying "no"?
Originally published November 15, 2002.
Happy sweeping,
Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com
