Things I Swore I'd Never Say

My daughter and I visited our plot at the community gardens today under this roil-y boil-y sky. Another gardener passed by and said with a big smile on her face, "Isn't this a wonderful day to be out here?" "Perfect!" I replied in all sincerity, surprising myself. The mercury never went above 59F/15C, and we had a stiff breeze. It was even spitting rain off and on. It won't be long before the hazy heat, oppressive humidity, and blood-thirsty mosquitoes will make me wonder why I've taken on this summer project.

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In the car today, my daughter asked me, "Is there really such thing as the Easter Bunny?"

Uh, oh, I thought to myself. "What do you mean?" I asked her, feigning innocence.

"Does a bunny really deliver candy and hide the Easter eggs?"

Oh, boy. Before I had kids, I swore I'd never even begin the Easter Bunny and Santa nonsense, mostly because of the let-down when they find out the truth. "Well, yes, as far as I know, " I said, cringing and hating myself just a little.

"But mom, how can rabbits carry candy and hide eggs?"

Damn. I knew this day was coming. "Uh, I'm sure it's some kind of Easter Bunny magic." More wincing, because I know that bunnies delivering candy and hiding eggs probably no longer makes sense to an almost-six-year-old.

"Oh," she replied softly, then stared silently out the window. I could tell the wheels were spinning inside her head. I had a memory of being about her age and questioning whether rabbits could really let themselves in the house and deliver candy. I felt both guilty -- for perpetuating the myths I swore I'd never push on my kids -- and relieved--that she dropped the subject. For now.