My thoughtful son

The other day Deston said the sweetest, most thoughtful thing I think he's ever said. We were walking home and he told me, "I'm going to tell stories about you and me and Papa to my kids when I'm a grown-up and you're died. If you're old and you don't remember the fun times, I'll tell you."

When I repeated the part about me being dead he backtracked and amended it to when I'm old. I don't mind him thinking about our mortality, as long as he doesn't fixate on it and get upset. His comments about story-telling came out of the blue and I'm impressed that he's already thinking about the future in this way. He and I seem to share a deep connection with our imaginations that, at least in my case, leads to lots of daydreaming about the future. As a kid, I always imagined what my life would be like as an adult (it didn't look anything like the current situation, apart from the husband and kid, by the way). Deston looks to be on the same track.

Like many families, telling stories is an important part of our identity. Drew and I talk about our childhoods, Deston's childhood, and stories we were told about our forebears. It seems overbearing to say we're always creating memories, but it's true nonetheless. It's comforting that Deston is aware that one day he'll talk about his life and tell stories about his past. I hope he'll always remember the fun times and remind me of them when I'm old and this crazy reality is long behind me.