Baffled

I had a conversation with Abigail a few days ago that I didn't know how to react to. I kind of wanted to laugh. I kind of wanted to cry. It made me realize I may never truly know what goes through the mind of a three-year-old.

I was in the kitchen. She was in her bedroom, which is just off the kitchen. She yelled to me, "Mommy, can I live with you forever?"

"Well, sure," I replied, finishing up the dishes. "You can if you want to." I remember telling my dad I would always live with him and take care of him. I know kids are thoughtful until they grow up and meet their spouse. Then all bets are off.

"But will big people come and take me away from you?"

This is one of those left-field questions that makes a parent wonder what-in-the-world show did (of course) someone else let her watch that made her see a child abduction or something.

"Have you known any kids who have been taken away from their families?" I asked. I figured this would be a better look into her little head than just saying, "No, don't be silly!"

"Well, Kerry and Charlotte's girls got big and somebody took them away."

Let me pause here to explain that our friends Kerry and Charlotte's girls are in their mid-20s. One is married, and one is in grad school. They were in no way ever "taken away" from their parents.

"Oh, honey, no. Kerry and Charlotte's girls are all grown up big. One of them is married and one is in college. When you go to college, you usually don't live at home anymore. And when you get married, you don't live at home with your Mommy and Daddy anymore either. Just like when I married Daddy, I live with him. I don't live with Memaw and Papa anymore."

"Oh. Okay." And back to playing she went. I wonder how much time in her mind she spent worrying that someone was going to come, say, on her 4th birthday, and take her away from home. Poor kid.