Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Wait a minute. Frogs aren’t beautiful but they are fun.
On the way back from the baseball game, five year old Katie begins with the Pappy questions.
“Pappy?”
“Yes, honey.”
“You are more fun than a playground.”
“Well, that’s nice! I’m glad you are having fun.”
“Pappy?”
“Yes, honey.”
“Have you ever been married?”
“No, honey.”
“Pappy?”
“Yes, honey.”
“Not even when you were young?”
“Nope. Not even way back then!”
Silence.
“Pappy?”
“Yes, honey.”
“I could help you with attractiveness.”
First time I thought I’d better pull over to the side of road because of loud driver laughing.
“Well, honey, I’m sure you could. What would you suggest?”
“You need to wear more skirts!”
“You think that would do it?”
Then, from the other side of the backseat another country is heard from–8 year old Timmy:
“And get that red car back! I loved that car! And, stop wearing black.”
OK. I’m looking at rest areas to pull over but it’s night and who knows who or what could be lurking.
“So, tell me wise ones of the back seat, what exactly am I missing here in the love ballgame. What is love all about anyway?”
Silence.
Timmy: “Pappy! You are the one who is 63 years old! You should be telling us what it means!”
Katie: I’ll tell you what it means!
Timmy (in this 90 year old world weary voice): “O, brother! I can’t wait to hear this!”
I pull over.
Danger is a relative thing. Serial killers could get us in the rest area but you can’t drive if you are laughing so hard that tears are coming down your face.
©Pat Coakley 2008
PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION
Out of the mouths of babes – I can’t stop giggling and now I am crying from laughing so hard! What characters!
Ok I can’t stop laughing – at this rate I will have a six pack in 5 minutes ow!
ROFL
Oh, do tell, Pat! What is Katie’s pronouncement on love? I have my 9-year-old niece coming to stay with me for a week in July. Maybe she will share some pearls of wisdom, too. She’s interested, having already asked me if I’d ever been in love, I’m sure the marriage and children questions are lurking just below the surface!
–Stacie
Stacie: Couldn’t even hear it. I am a loud laugher as well as needing some attractiveness.
Sanity: Make a toast with that six pack: To the power of skirts and red cars!
What a cool story! I’ve had so many conversations just like this with my kids. The topic may change, but the wisdom and childlike innocence never fail to make me chuckle.
Keep laughing . . .
Brian