TALKING WITH MY CHILD

On my walk this morning…I noticed the child I used to be who, it seems, has been sleeping all these years…decided to take a walk with me. I said, “Hello!” to my young self…from a time when I was smaller… He looked me up and down then said, “I thought you would be taller.” Then he started asking questions…as a child his aged does… “Was chocolate ice cream still my favorite?”…”Yes”, I said, “it was.” Questions came out rapid fire…of things I’ve long forgot… Sometimes he waited for me to answer…often he did not. What was I doing in Florida? How did I get here from Ohio? Do I ever miss the change of seasons or playing in the snow? Did I become a football star? Do I still love climbing trees? How are my brothers doing? Do I still eat pizza with lots of cheese? Do I still like skipping stones on lakes and rivers and streams? Am I still scared of the dark? Do I still know how to dream? Do I live in a big house? Does it have a pool? Do I drive a fancy car? Do I have friends…a family. Do I still makes wishes on the stars? Why are there so many wrinkles on my face? Why is my beard so grey? Even though I’m older now…do I still find time to play? On and on his questions came…and as quickly as they flew past… I did my best to answer them as fast as they were asked. I can’t remember all he asked…so many question in one walk he crammed…. But his final question was, “Are you happy?”…to which I smiled and said…”I am”. “Then I am happy for you.” He said before he jumped back into my dream…. “And I’m really glad to know…you still love your pizza and ice cream.”