First I’d like to give mention to Art Linkletter the originator of a 1960s tv segment called “Kids Say the Darndest Things”; I know a lot of the baby boomers will remember this so I’m just giving credit where credit is due.All the stories on my blog are the honest-to-goodness truth as I remember it. Some of the names have been changed to protect my innocence. So here we go.
My son was a white-blonde haired little guy with striking blue eyes.He was also a comedian as early as two years of age.He did, however, also have a sincerity about him that both melted my heart and sometimes made it ache especially when someone or something appeared to betray him.
His father, Tim adored his two children and Thomas, our second was a source of great entertainment.We lived in Minneapolis and if you are familiar with Minnesota winters you know cases of cabin fever run rampant especially in January.It was on one of these frigid January days I encouraged Tim to take 2 1/2 year-old Thomas to the mall or Target; pretty much anywhere he could burn off some energy and not suffer frostbite.
Meghan, my daughter, (also entertaining) and I stayed home.After an hour or so, Tim and Thomas came back from the mall and Tim had a smirk on his face and was obviously experiencing some urgency in sharing a bit about their trip but not in front of our little guy.
When the coast was clear, Tim and I sat down at our kitchen booth and he hadn’t said the first word before cracking up. “What?What?” I asked.Now I was dying to know.It had been a pretty boring day.
Finally, Tim told me what happened at the mall that day.Apparently while walking hand-in-hand with his daddy Thomas saw a very striking woman walk by.With all sincerity,he pulled on his daddy’s pant leg and asked “Don’t you wish THAT was our mommy?”
I was equally amused. Honest.