My daughter is in love with Dallas. Not so much the city, but the people in it. Over the last few weeks, on numerous occasions, she has said, “I am never going back to Phoenix. I am going to stay in Dallas forever.” I am struck by her statement, wondering if she know what forever means. So I ask her, “What do you mean forever?” She says, “You and Daddy can go back to Phoenix and I will stay here in Dallas forever.”

She has many reasons to believe in forever. It has been non-stop fun for her and I don’t think the smile has evaporated from her face. There has been pancake making, fingernail painting, swimming, ice cream runs, and impromptu lunches with cousins. It’s been a magical world for her, where happiness exists in full supply.

I hope she remembers these moments, but a large part of me believes that she won’t. There will be plenty of photographs and retelling of these memories, but the essence of forever will be lost. Maybe it is a word that only can be understood by a child, the fairy tale meaning not collapsing as soon as it is uttered.

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When is the last time you thought about the word forever? Do you think forever is a child’s word? Do you think as adults we are capable of believing in forever? Do you recall feeling forever as a child?