Tuesday, June 14, 2016

what we talk about when we talk about love:

Tim: Langston was great on the bus and at school this morning. I ended up playing with his little friends for a few minutes. It is so much fun to do that. With the bus, Langston is always so excited to leave the house haha It was really hot, though, and we were both sweating.

Me: I'm so glad you two had a great morning; these are the things you're both going to remember. Like in American Beauty, when the father remembers his life, all that love and beauty, so much it hurts. Those are the greatest moments to live. I have memories of going to mc Donald's with my dad and Nick. Nick and I would split a hot cakes and sausage, and we alway had to trade off who got to eat from the lid and who had to eat from the plate. We each got an orange juice, and my dad would sometimes let us have a sip of his coffee.

Tim: yeah, nobody will ever be able to take those memories away, and despite how little they are, they mean so much. It's because kids often have a higher capability of happiness. Kids can be happy with so little, and despite their whining and complaining, they truly are satisfied. I think as a parent we get to relive that happiness through them. Riding a bus, for example, is mundane, but because of Langston, I am allowed to return to my childhood and that feeling of happiness. Only, as a parent, the gift might arguably be better. Not only do I get to relive those moments of childhood and happiness, I get to experience the kinship with a son. I feel for him and for myself because I can relate to him while also experiencing something new. Then, I also get the experience of kinship with my father by coming to a realization of how he must have felt and had that same enjoyment, and because I can realize what he did and felt and had, I have a better appreciation for and understanding of him.

Me:  absolutely. kids are absolutely transcendental. wow. yeah, man. that is so so much better than Salinger's philosophy. yeah, man. that's beautiful.

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