Deep Dark Fears of Childhood
by Lela Davidson on April 23, 2010
in motherhood, Rugrats, Tweens, & Other Offspring
Our family uses a conversation starter game called Table Topics. Each night as we eat dinner we pull a card from the box and answer the question. It’s a great way to get the kids talking, and occasionally shock my husband. The other night the question seemed superficial enough: What fear would you like to overcome?
I was trying decide between my fear of spiders versus my fear of noises in the night when my husband is out of town. My son volunteered to go first.
“Okay, what fear would you like to overcome?”
“I’d have to say the feeling of being a speck of dust in the universe, and that life is completely meaningless.”
Wow. The kid was so matter of fact about it. My husband and I shared a look across the table. And we laughed.
“But your life means something,” I said when I composed myself. “It means something to all the people you come in contact with.”
The Boy shook his head. “Yeah, but their lives are meaningless too.”
Duh.
