Having a conversation with a nine year-old can be interesting sometimes. Okay, most of the time, but occasionally, the topic of conversation really take you off-guard.
Today, Frederic asked Cyndi and me if we could "go back to our past selves and say something, what would it be?" A flood of mistakes and failures immediately filled my brain.
Don't go out on that first date with Lyn--you know, the one with three kids who wasn't divorced yet from her second husband...it'll haunt you for a long time. Don't drink your dinner, touch Charles Barkley's stomach, and attempt to drive home...it'll haunt you for a long time. Dour dad don't take your dad to Condell Hospital when he's short of breath...it'll haunt you for a long time. Don't take steroids...it'll haunt you for a long time.
I didn't verbalize any of these. Frederic's too young to hear about most of my failures in life. Although he does know a little about the steroid use, I've told him that I will always be honest with him, and never hide the truth. I've also told him I will share information with him as he gets older. Age appropriate confessions, I call it.
He's asked me about the worst thing I have ever done in my life. I can't tell him this yet. He's just too young to hear it.
Instead of answering his "past self" question, I redirected the conversation to see what he was thinking about when he asked.
"I'd go back to myself from two months ago," he said. "I'd tell myself to take out the garbage."
Frederic's got a great sense of humor, this example included. Cyndi and I could not contain ourselves for several minutes. He was referring to the final straw that prompted the indefinite (or until further notice) Wii grounding.
As funny as it wasn't two months ago when it happened, I guess he learned a lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment