Parenthood is often a very interesting object lesson in perspective. The memories we have of our own childhoods are quite often subverted and revisited through the lens of our children’s experience. Similarly, we gain insight, very often a great deal of sympathy, and (sadly) an occasional taste of bitterness for the way our parents must have felt. These effects are often amplified because we literally retrace our steps as children through many of the same places and activities we remember and cherish. I have had this go both ways — revisiting places that were integral parts of my childhood and re-discovering their magic through Charlotte’s wonder and amazement, and returning to places that I hadn’t seen in thirty-odd years only to be disappointed or saddened by how they changed (or how I had changed).
We’re heading down a trodden path right now that should be a good experience. A few weeks ago, Charlotte started talking to me one morning about wanting something she’d seen on a TV commercial. This isn’t a novel experience; I am often besieged with requests for Moon Sand, Kids Rock CDs, various breakfast cereals and/or sugary snacks and the occasional erectile dysfunction drug. It took me a couple of tries, though, to get what exactly she was going on about. Eventually I was able to parse out that she wanted to order a butterfly kit. You send away, get a half dozen caterpillars, watch them pupate, and, hopefully, hatch into butterflies. Ah, the miracles of nature! The Circle of Life! All for $29.95 plus shipping and handling!
