Momnesia

Flights of fancy

We're at the park, and Em has made yet another group of instant friends. They run, breathless, to where I am lounging on one of the wooden play structures (the better to keep an eye on them).

"Are you her mom?" one boy asks.

"Why, yes, I am. How are you today?"

"Good. When do y'all transform into fairies?"

I look at Em. She is chagrined. Busted.

"Em? Tell him when we transform into fairies."

"Uh, well, only at night," she says, cautiously, visibly hoping I don't plan on ratting her out.

"There you go. Only at night," I tell the curious boy. They sprint away.

"Em?" I call.

"Yes?"

I frown and shake my head.

She nods. "Okay, mama."

I want to encourage her creativity - I do. But I want to channel it away from creating some inaccurate mythology about herself. To focus her on all the good things she has in her life now, as opposed to how great life could be if she had magic powers. Because wouldn't all of our lives be transformed by magic powers? But they don't exist. Basically, I want her to stay grounded.

A while later, they run up to me again.

"I turn into a bat at night," the boy tells me.

"Well, that is quite the magic power," I reply. Just then his mother calls him over and he runs off, giving me a few moments with Emerson before he returns.

"Hey," I say.

"What?"

"What do you think I want to talk to you about right now?" I ask.

"Umm... prolly that I lied to him about being a fairy."

"Well, 'lie' might be a stronger word than I would like, but it's accurate. These stories are fun, Emmie, but you're just as cool without magic powers. You're smart, funny, a hard worker, beautiful, kind and fun to play with. You don't have to be a fairy on top of all that."

She grins and hugs me. "Fanks, mom. I'll tell him the truth."

"You mean Bat Boy?" I grin, and she giggles. "I think it's okay to continue playing your make-believe game for now. Just remember that it's make-believe."

Bat Boy runs up to me again. "I'm a baaaaat!!" he screams, and his mother chides him from her bench. We wave and smile at each other.

"Well, that's nice. Maybe we can fly around together," I joke, and Emerson giggles again.

"No," he says. "Because I would eat you up. I'm a bat."

And they run off again to play. Fairy Girl and Bat Boy. Supernatural creatures. Natural enemies. Instant friends.