when giraffes fly

When our sons were 5 and 2 they were engaged in an earnest imaginary safari on the living room floor of our grad student housing, Fisher-Price characters all spread out complete with animals, tents and jeeps. Suddenly the older child noticed that a giraffe was perched way high up on the green vinyl couch. "How did that giraffe get up there," he asked in complete dismay and bafflement. Two-year old son said, brown eyes serene, "I put him there."


As a listening adult I giggled to myself. Five year old knew giraffes can't magically fly up to the couch. Two year old saw no problem whatever, as the laws of logic, physics, gravity, the universe hadn't set in yet.


Endless possibilities.

Sometimes I want that giraffe on the couch again.