“When I go to college,” Paco announced, “I am not going to live there. I am going to stay at home because I want to be near you and Mommy.”
“That’s nice, Jokinen,” I said, “but one of the reasons you go to college is to begin to learn how to live on your own. You’re not going to live with us forever.”
“Will you start teaching me how to live on my own when I’m 18?” he asked.
“Every time you watch me doing something, you’re learning how to live on your own,” I said.
“You just don’t realize it yet.”
Made me appreciate how these little moments all add up to the whole of the childhood experience.
And the awesome responsibility of every day.