real families··3 min read
things my toddler grieved this week
a real, lightly edited list. some are sad. all are valid. one involves a banana.
every parent eventually realizes their kid is a tiny grief manager working with limited information. the griefs are real. the scale is off. that's the whole bit.
the list, monday to friday
- the moon, for being in the wrong window.
- his sock, for being a sock.
- the banana i peeled, because she wanted to peel the banana.
- the same banana, after she peeled it, because it was now peeled.
- the dog, for going outside without saying goodbye.
- the dog, for coming back inside.
- tuesday, in general.
- his shadow, for following him.
- his shadow, for stopping when he stopped.
- the song that ended.
- the song that started.
she cried because the cracker she wanted was the cracker she had.
we keep these in Kaiary now. not because they're heartbreaking — although the moon one really got me — but because in six months you won't be able to tell me a single thing your toddler grieved this week, and that's a real loss. write them down. the banana is the whole point.
