With very young kids, otherwise sane parents will do the
zaniest things to bond with them—and that’s exactly how it should be. If
you need a raspberry on your tummy to make you happy, it’s my pleasure to
supply one. But once kids enter grade school, parents become
“embarrassing” or, better yet, “embarrassments.” So I was especially
pleased at drop-off this morning when I looked over at another parent with a
child in second grade and watched her talking into a banana like it was a
phone. —
It was my friend Sandy, who last year wrote this touching
essay for New York Family about being a
parent with a disability. I’m still not sure why, but there she was
standing with her cutie-pie daughter, and there she was a few seconds later pulling
a banana out of her pursue. Surprised, intrigued and appreciative of a
parent who would risk a storm of indignation from her second-grader, I moseyed
on over to express my admiration.
And then joined in.
“Is the call for me?” I asked.
She handed me the banana.
“I’m running late but I’ll be there soon.” (My
stock line.)
I handed the banana her back to her. She hung up on
the caller, peeled open the banana and ate it.
—Eric Messinger
