In Their Guessing
The idea comes unexpectedly for a Christmas surprise for my girls. Kittens – two of them – one for each daughter. They’ve asked for one over and over after we had to let our sweet but high-maintenance puppy live full-time with their dad. I mull it over for several days, thinking through the logistics and the financial obligation. There are many reasons not to, of course. Pets are a lot of work. They make messes. They destroy furniture. They’re expensive.
But none of that seems important as I think of my little girls’ faces when they see the kittens for the first time. I think of the hours of enjoyment they will derive from the small, furry balls of mischief. Their anticipated surprise and delight obliterate my apprehensions. I will do it for them even though I’m not really a cat person. I wasn’t a dog person, either, until I fell in love with Patches.
But I’m a kid person. I love children. I love my children. Apparently, when one is a child person, furry creatures follow closely behind.
Regardless, this is what parents do. From the moment we see our precious baby’s faces for the first time, everything is about them. Suddenly, we’re animal people because they are.
During the holidays, we want to give our children special memories. We want to give them everything they need and want, as long as we trust it’s good for them. We’ll go to great lengths and expense to do so. Although it sometimes defies logic, it must be this way. Our window of magical moments grows ever smaller as the years pass. In the end, all we have is our memories.
On Christmas Eve I will fetch the fuzzy merry makers in the White Whale while my friend Janelle teaches the girls how to make fudge at her house. When she brings the girls home I will have the kittens in our family room ready to meet their forever girls. I can hardly wait, kind of like a kid at Christmas.
I told the girls I had a surprise better than anything they could imagine for their Christmas Eve gift. As children do, they immediately tried to guess what it might be. And in their guessing, they surprised me. Not one of their guesses was something material.
Emerson’s face lit up like the Christmas tree behind her. “Are you getting married again?”
“Um, no.” Married again? Where did that come from?
“Are Shane and Sofia coming from California?” asked Ella.
“No, but that would be wonderful.”
“Wait! Is Jesse James is coming to visit?” asked Ella.
“I wish.”
There were other guesses, all similar to the first, all about people we love.
And then I knew – the kittens are nothing compared to the gifts they give me everyday by being such good girls, such loving girls. I am blessed, so very blessed.
All we have at the end are our memories. I will remember.
