Chapter Five: Something to Think About

While I was sitting here writing, my five-year-old daughter came in and asked me a question that seemed to come from totally out of the blue. I'm still a little stumped by it, and I'm not at all sure how to answer.

"What was the worst thing that happened when you were a child?"

I blinked a couple of times and turned to look at her. She was sitting on the potty in my bedroom, something she's not supposed to do. She seems to forget, and I mean she forgets every single time, to flush the toilet. So I have had to institute a "no going potty in mommy's room" policy.

Apparently, it's not working.

"What do you mean, what's the worst thing that happened to me as a child?"

"What's the worst thing your mommy did to you?" she asked. No overt emotion. No hidden agenda. Just a question. I have no idea how she came up with this one.

"Gosh, Livy. That's a hard one. I'll have to think about that," I say.

And I will.