Imagination

"Mom, can we go outside and play?"

"Sure."

My Princess and my Buddy head outside. They're packing heat. They have their "children" with them, Mickey and Minnie.

A few minutes later, my Buddy runs back inside to get a few more essentials.

"Mom, can this go outside?" He asks holding up a toy kitchen dish.

"Sure, Buddy. What are you guys doing?"

"Ummm, we're just playing." He says nonchalantly as he walks out the door onto the porch.

From inside I can hear their conversation.

"Okay daughter, you need to make sure you eat all of your food." says my Princess who is obviously the mother.

"Don't forget to eat your veggies, son." says my Buddy, who clearly is the father.

The conversation continues, they don't even skip a beat. It's as though they have rehearsed the lines before stepping food outside.

The sun streams across my Princess' face and I know she'll make a great mommy one day to a daughter who will probably test her a little more than her current "daughter".

I look into my Buddy's eyes and see the eyes of a boy who will some day, if he's lucky, be as good of a dad as the one he has. He too will more than likely have a son who is more demanding than his Mickey Mouse doll, but for now using the imagination is a wonderful learning tool.

Because if you don't ever "practice" the most important role of your life, how will you be ready for when it arrives?