Children by ~lanajo
I help him to put on his new shoes. My son loves them. Whenever he has them on he struts around, proud as a peacock. It’s a beautiful sight.
We usually do shopping for a whole week. My wife just got home from work, so I’m going by myself. I offer her to take Danell of her hands as I’m going shopping.
He loves to help me with anything I do. If Daddy does it, it must be cool; cooking, shopping, working out, whatever I do, he does it, too.
He loves to give hugs as well. The children in his kindergarten already succumbed to the stereotypes, but my boy loves pink balloons, hugs his friends and pets anyone that feels bad: “hurt?” he asks then.
I don’t think that means he’s gay, and even if he was, I wouldn’t care, but then again: I must be crazy.
While we walk to the grocery store, he and I usually make jokes: we imitate ducks, we make wheelies with his buggy and I try to make a conversation out of the 70% gibberish he speaks.
Children pause from their politically correct playtime as we walk by, while parents look at me with vicarious shame. I understand them, I mean, can you imagine doing something that’d make your child happy?
I can think of one thousand things, but then again: I must be crazy.
In the shopping mall, I put him in a cart and give it a little push as I release it from my hands. As the cart slowly rolls away I run after it in slow motion and say — again in slow motion: “Daneeell! Nooooo!”
My son is laughing his pants off and other children even show careful signs of laughter, while their parents turn and look away and continue their errands at a zombie-like pace, with a zombie-like expression on their face.
I prefer my son’s bright smile, but then again: I must be crazy.
Science says a human uses 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile.
I say that could be one of the reasons why depression is so up and coming nowadays, but then again: I must be crazy.
– About The Author:
I’m Daan van den Bergh, a 28 year old husband and father from The Netherlands. Over at my blog I share poetry, short stories, flash fiction and commentary in an attempt to pour society’s issues into the art of writing. Visit my blog at Daanvandenbergh.com.
