It was late afternoon. I picked up my daughter from school and we talked about her day in the car. It was an ordinary conversation about what she is learning in math and science, as well as sprinkles about her adventures on the playground with her friends.
As we enter our home, she sheds her uniform and puts on a pair of pants and floral t-shirt. She is singing, “La-la-la, Sing a Happy Song, Smurf your whole day long.” It is a catchy tune and I start humming along while I attempt to fix something to eat. On this particular afternoon, after she devours her snack, she announces, “I have something to tell you Momma.” Her eyes are glittering even though her pupils are pitch black. I love witnessing this exuberance. Usually, when she has something to tell me, it is these three words, “I love you.” But this afternoon, she surprised me.
“Momma, I want to marry you.” She grins wide as she makes this statement.
“You want to marry me? Why do you want to do that ?” I reply, knowing that she doesn’t really understand the word “marry.”
“I just love you so much Momma that I want to marry you.”
“Oh, my, that is so sweet.” I give in to my laugh, while my insides feel a pinch of sadness.
My daughter has no idea what the word marry really truly means. She equates the word with love. It is a reminder for me to enjoy these afternoon days of singing and witnessing her innocent exuberance.
Because eventually she will understand the gravity of what marry means.
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.
Awe, that is so sweet. My Daddy who is now 82 still reminds me that when I was little I wanted to marry him.
Cherish those days…because when middle school arrives…hoo-boy!
So sweet…both my boys wanted to marry me too 🙂 Cute!
That is just so sweet. That memory will last forever!!
Now another take on this theme might be the heiros gamos or divine marriage that is symbolic of integrating the opposites, metaphorically about the union of a god and a goddess (so why not a mother and her daughter?), actually an alchemical symbol of transformation. Sometimes our children know deeply of what they speak, loving on a plane actually above, and not below, the consciousness of romantic love. As KW says, do cherish it, for it’s not often that the theme of heiros gamos constellates, much less plays out, in middle school 🙂
This is precious. I recall one of my sons telling me when he was little that some day, when he grew up and married, he would build a house for himself and his family in the backyard so he would always be close.
Ah, but those things change… Bask in the Little Kid moments! They are very sweet, indeed.
I wish that Bella didn’t equate marriage with boys/boyfriends, thanks to preschool, she tells me all the time that she’s going to marry so-and-so and she’ll be his wife and they’ll have some babies. She thinks marriage = a best friend who’s a boy and lives you. It kinda is, though we all know it’s so much more.
That’s so sweet, Rudri. I love the purity of her reasoning and thank goodness for the children who aren’t so fascist in the way they approach marriage.
What a sweet and tender story, Rudri . . .makes me think of the time one of my grandchildren asked me if I would still be living when he graduated from college. When I mimicked mental math calculation and said, “I sure hope so,” he smiled and happily continued working on a school project. Little children bring such joy . . .
You have a wonderful little girl. Such a sweet moment, one to hold onto as she grows older.
Scoop up that kiddo and hug her forever!
That is very sweet. :o)
Well, that is one of the sweetest thing I have read in a while 🙂
And what a testament that is to you and your husband – that your daughter equates marry with “bursting with love.” Beautiful!
It’s so sweet how kids want to marry their parents. Thanks for the well wishes on my SITS day this week!
That is so sweet! My son used to say that to me and would get jealous when his dad revealed to him that mommy was already taken 😉 And then one day his 6 year old best friend confessed that he’d wanted to marry me when he grows up, rather than his mother. It was funny and sweet at the same time. I love the kids’ innocence.
Sadly, my son doesn’t propose to me anymore…(he’s just turned 8).
OMG your daughter is the cutest!!