I Miss my Childhood-RemembeRED

I  miss my childhood.  I miss the days where I had no responsibilities.  I miss being naive and believing people were inherently good and didn't hurt others to make themselves feel better.  I miss the excitement I could find in the mundane, as only a child can.  I miss being small and innocent.

"Mommy, I want to stay 3 forever!" I exclaim in front of the video camera, pirouetting for good measure.

"I'd like that," my mom replies.

It's the middle of the day and I'm excited.  My ballet recital is coming up soon, and I get to wear a neat blue and white striped costume with a tutu and matching umbrella.  I get to dance to the song "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and I am the first girl in line.  I love the spotlight.

I ham it up some more in front of the video camera.  "Mommy, look at this!" I run to the bookshelf and grab my folder of books I've written.  I pull out the most recent book, "The Adventures of Molly Colly," which is a series.  I show my mom all the pictures I drew and read her the story.  She is so proud of me.  I love showing everyone my stories, but my friends don't read and write yet like I do, so I show any grown up I can find.  They usually seem impressed.

I continue to twirl around the living room before getting bored.  "Mommy, I'm hungry.  Is my next meal lunch, or dinner?"

My mom smiles at me, shaking her head.  "We already ate breakfast and lunch.  You can have a snack, and we will eat dinner later."

I rush to the kitchen to find a snack.  I love food, and I make sure every day that I get all my meals.  I grab an apple and yell for my dad.  He always takes the first bite.  When I finish the apple, I put on my shoes and go outside.

I enter my playhouse.  The rest of my afternoon is spent pretending I'm a mommy too, and my dolls are my babies.  I can't wait to grow up so I can have my own house, and do everything myself.

Now that I am a grown up, I look fondly back on those days and wish my childhood could have lasted longer, or that I could have savored it more.  I miss my childhood.  But now I can make sure my kids won't miss theirs.

This post was written in response to this week's remembeRED prompt, to write a memoir piece beginning with the words, “I miss my childhood”.