The Binky – A Story For All Time
BY JANET Barber
I’m with my four-year-old granddaughter at the movies. I see her maybe once every three weeks because they are all so busy busy. And truthfully, I wouldn’t want it to be a daily occurrence /obligation. This is pure joy.
We are an hour into Mary Poppins Returns. She’s finished her popcorn and Skittles. She’s becoming restless. I said “Don’t you like the movie? “ She said “I really miss my Binky.”
Uh oh. “I know mom said you’re not taking your binky anymore”.
She turned to me and said “My mom said I can’t have it because I’m big now. But I love my Binky. And I saved one in my bed but I can’t find it now.”
After the movie when we went for ice cream we had the Binky talk. I told her that her mom had her own reasons and those were the rules of her house. She looked at me with my son’s soulful eyes and I said “But those are not the rules at my house.” She lit up!
“So I knew I had a lot of leverage and an opportunistic position of strength). Evil mother in law!”
I knew I was walking into a death trap but I didn’t care. We went to the drugstore and she said “this is the same Binky as mine and it even has glitter on it!”
Seriously, what girl can resist?
“Well then let’s buy it and keep it at my house. It will be our little secret. And if need be I’ll explain to mom that I have different Binky rules at my house and that when you come to my house you can have your Binky.” (Note: this is very manipulative behavior on my part because naturally my daughter-in-law looks at my babysitting for an afternoon and evening as a luxury for herself. So I knew I had a lot of leverage and an opportunistic position of strength). Evil mother in law!
When we got back to my house she opened the Binky and lay down on my bed. I gave her some private comfort time and then went to lie down with her. I said, “How is it?” She was moving it around in her mouth and biting on it.
“I’m trying to make it fit.”
The Binky had been gone for probably a month. In my old age wisdom I realized then that you can’t go back. The sweet fond memories we have are just that. They can’t be replicated nor are they ever as sweet as they once were. We are constantly evolving and moving forward. We can only treasure those past moments lovingly and longingly.
She played with it in and out of her mouth for the rest of her visit. Then she dutifully put it away in my jewelry box as planned when she got her coat to go home.
I treasure that Binky along with my finest bling!
I’ll leave it in my will just for her.
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