Word Play

My daughter came up to me yesterday with a mouthful of food. She cupped her right hand under her chin as if she were going to spit something out. Was she choking? Was what she ate too hot? Turns out it was neither. She was laughing and didn’t want the contents of her mouth spilling all over the kitchen floor. Apparently what she had to tell me was so funny, she couldn’t swallow her food. It took her a while to chew and gulp. Listening to her giggle and turn away in an attempt to compose herself started me laughing.

After the final swig, she gasped for air and announced that she is opening up a salon. As a parent we encourage our kids on any adventure. Since she didn’t tell me she was going to open a methamphetamine lab I was all for the idea! The salon wasn’t the funny part. It’s the name of the salon. Again, she started to giggle before she could tell me.

Feeling left out of the joke, I turned away from her and resumed what I was doing (nothing). Apparently this moved helped her calm down enough to blurt out the name. It was funny. I began to laugh too and the both of us repeated the name over and over to the point tears came out of my eyes.

She’s nineteen and her “firsts” have been gone for some time. Her first steps, tooth, boyfriend, etc. However, yesterday, she said her first, very funny, word play. After the tears were wiped away and the laughter gone, I thought maybe, just maybe she’ll be a writer. They grow up so fast, sniff, sniff.

Bridget