I went to the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends.  I was only there for 5 mins, but what I saw will change the way I think about raising children for the rest of my life. 

So, I was in the produce isle getting some fruit when an older women with two young children came in next to me.  The kids couldn't have been older then 7.  I'd say maybe 4 and 6.  Anyway, they are following their mom through the store when they stop at the apples.  The mom tells the two kids to each pick 2 apples, hands them each a bag and begins to read her shopping list.  The two kids are looking at the apples and one, the older of the two picks up an apple and shouts,  in a high pitched voice, "Hey, quit picking my apples...", the other child laughs and says in a high pitches voice, "Ohh, I'm sorry I...wait did you just say something?"  Both kids start laughing and I kinda giggle wonding what the hell they are talking about.  Then they link arms and start singing, "Follow the yellow brick road."  Very loudly, while skipping to the green apple display....I realize that it's from the Wizard of Oz and smile at them.  Well, I see mom look up from her list with this look of embarresment and disgust and rush over to her kids, grab each of them firmly an say, "Why don't you two just grow up already...you're acting like babies.  Let's go, you're embarresing me."   I will never ever forget the look on their faces...it was total shame and hurt.  I mean, they are babies in a sense.  Why can't they pretend they are Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz or  the talking trees.  Why do you want your children to go grow up so quickly?  They have their whole life to "grow up" and be "serious".   Why do they have to do it now?  I want my kids (when I have them) do be just like that.  I want them to use their imaginations, be silly, have fun.  I wish I could be as inhibitiated as they are. Maybe all of us "grown ups" should pretend a little more.  Maybe then we'd be more happy, less stressed.  Maybe we should all laugh a little more loudly and care less  of what people think about us.  We should all reconnect with the child in all of us and just breathe.