My four year old informed me that she has changed her mind.  She has come to the conclusion after fifty months of living that she will, in fact,  be getting married. 

Imagine my surprise when she informed me that she already knows who she is going to marry!  My darling child, who only four days ago told me she hated me and wanted a better Mom, has "proposed" to me.  Yup, she wants to marry her mother.  "When I'm bigger of course." she added. 

Mind you, this is not the first big, life-changing conversation we've had in the last two weeks.  On a recent car trip she burst into tears.  Alarmed, I asked what was happening and she began in full wail "I don't want to have a baby!"  ( I can only hope we don't have this conversation again at 15!)  I tried to assure her that not everyone has babies; that she can choose when she is a grown-up.  There was a brief, and I hoped calming, pause.  "But Mom, how will my body know?!"

So twice now I have been offered a chance to tackle big issues and explain how life works, (or at least life as I know it), and twice I have dodged, hedged and otherwise avoided trying to explain.  In my childless twenties I had such strong opinions about what the right answers to these questions should be.  I knew how I would answer when these moments came up.  What changed?

I actually live with the children asking these questions now.  My oldest is at an age where information is its own currency and one piece of knowledge begets the need for yet one more.  Trying to explain why she can't marry Mommy is only going to lead us to full-scale social observation  at the grocery store.  Gone will be the days of simply shopping and minding our own business.  My preschooler will now be polling the populace, wanting to know marital status and why, or why not, are you married to this person.  Sure, she's a cute four year old, but would you like to explain to her how your "...baby got in", (or for that matter, out of), "your tummy" in the middle of the rice cake aisle? 

I thought not, so really, I'm doing a public service.  I know, I know...you can thank me later.