I take myself too seriously. It is part of who I am, this Type A personality lingering as my shadow, never leaving my side. I can blame it on adulthood, this innate sense of responsibility. In my role as wife and mother I am responsible for two others who have come to depend on me (at least I would like to think). I can’t remember the last time I acted like a kid, uninhibited and silly. I think we crave it, feelings of freedom and not a care in the world. Even though I have a young daughter at home, it is hard for me to connect back to my inner kid.
Sometimes I am forced to be a kid again because my daughter insists on it. It starts with something very basic, like coloring a picture of a princess in coloring book. We lay out her crayons on the floor and with our legs crossed, we start coloring. She will scribble and I will color in the lines. It feels a little unnatural participating because I’ve been prompted by my daughter to engage in coloring. When I am with her, she is giggling, coloring the face pink or purple, not realizing that these face colors don’t exist in reality.
As we color, I hear a familiar sound down my street, the sound of the ice cream truck. My Mom is outside, and my daughter and I join her. We all watch as the truck, with its stickers of various tempting ice creams, from snowcones to fudgsicles adorn its side. To my surprise, it isn’t my daughter who wants ice cream, but it is my mom who says, “Let’s stop her and get some ice cream.” My Mom, with her cane, limps over to the truck, looks at all the choices, and while hearing the music, watching her, I realize that all adults can revert back to their inner kid. I race inside grabbing some money from my purse, pay the lady, and before you know it, my mom and I, are both licking are snowcones, our mouths and lips with smudges of pink and purple color, like little kids on a bright sunny day. It is my daughter who abstains from our ice cream fest, giggling as she watches us.
You can be a kid again. It happens sometimes in the most unexpected ways.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
You are blessed to be sharing this time with your mom and you are making such wonderful memories for your daughter!
It is nice to have my daughter spend time with my mom. She teaches her things about our culture that I may not know and I feel like my daugter is getting to know her heritage. Thanks again for reading and commenting. I appreciate it.
It is wonderful feeling to be kid again with a kid.
Wish I could have been there! Nanu not having any ice cream??? I don’t believe it!!
Love the post by the way. 🙂
Rudri,
Getting to know you so much more through your open spirit and sincere expressions. Thank you for sharing your world – I feel like I have entered a Secret Garden and it makes me eager for more “rudri truisms.”
See you soon.
Trish
Thanks Trish. I am grateful for your mentorship and positive spirit. See you soon.
This post made me smile! I’m glad that you’re capturing these simple daily pleasures. These are the moments with her Nani that Nandu will treasure for the rest of her life.
Thanks Sunita. These are moments that are fun and will leave a lasting impression on all of us. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Haha good post. I, unfortunately, act like a kid 24/7 which has it’s downsides. lol
Its great Chris that humor is a large part of your life. No shame in acting like a kid – sometimes I think the adults have it all wrong – we take ourselves too seriously. Thanks for the comment!