My Friend the Moon
Soren has talked about his 'friend the moon' for years. I really don't remember when it started, but it was before preschool. Maybe two. Maybe a little less than two.
This morning, Soren referred to his friend the moon again. I said, "Wait! The moon is made of rock! It is an object, not a person!"
He proceeded to tell me that the moon can talk and he is the only one who can understand him. The moon comes to him at midnight. The moon's voice is indescribable.
"Does his voice sound like Granddad's?"
"YES! How did you know? Can you hear the moon, too?"
"Yes. I can. If I really listen. I've been talking to the moon for a long time, when I think no one is listening."
"Mom, that's not true. I'm the only one who can hear the moon. Maybe you talk to the moon, but you can't hear him!"
"How do you know? Maybe you can hear him because I can hear him. Maybe I passed that power down to you in your DNA. I am your mother, after all. And, why do you think the moon sounds like Granddad? Granddad is my father. Granddad's voice is all around us. It's in our DNA. It's in our dreams. Why wouldn't it be in the moon's voice, too?"
"Well, when the moon comes to me at midnight, my eyes glow white, just like the moon. This only happens when the moon is full, because the sunlight is fully reflected. The moon shoots beams of light into my eyes."
"Wow. Where did you get that idea, about the glowing eyes?"
"What do you mean? That's what's been happening for ever! I didn't just make it up today!"
"Oh, of course. I thought maybe you were telling me about a dream or an idea for a story. It sounds like the beginning of a really good book, or movie!"
"Mom, this isn't a story. This is the truth. This has been going on since I was a baby and it will go on forever. I'm the only one who understands this secret."
I was getting a little creeped out at this point. The hairs were standing up on the back of my neck and goose bumps were appearing on my arms. I shook it off and said, "Do you think this came from the dream you had about the scary moon owl when you were little? Remember when we went to the zoo when you were less than two? You saw the big owl in the nocturnal house and you were frozen. I couldn't tell if you were interested or terrified, until you looked at me with tears in your eyes and said, 'I don't like his eyes!'"
"Yes, I remember the owl. Yes I remember the dream I used to have about the owl. He became my friend in the dream. It was a snowy owl, not a scary moon owl."
"Oh, right. But do you think that maybe you had the idea about the moon because of the 'moon owl'?"
"Mom, the moon isn't an idea. The moon is real! You see it every day!"
"Yes, but I mean the idea that the moon comes to you at midnight and your eyes glow white and you talk to him. Do you think you had that idea because of a dream?"
"Oh, Mom. You don't understand. That's okay. If you had ever heard the moon talk, you would understand. But you haven't. It's alright. He only talks to me."
I have to admit. I felt a little jealous. I want to hear the moon's voice. Does it really sound like my dad? Again, I had to shake it off. "Soren, I love this. I love that you're sharing this with me. Do you think we should write it down? I think it would be an amazing book!"
"No, I don't want to."
"Well, maybe we could write it together, just so we don't forget about it."
"I'll never forget. It happens every night at midnight. How could I forget when it happens every night?"
"Well, do you mind if I write it down? Just so I don't forget?"
"Okay, I guess that would be fine."
So, I did. And here it is. I keep trying to figure out why he's telling this story. Maybe it's because I sang, 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' every night when he was a baby and until Kieran was born. Maybe it's because his room never got completely dark at the old house because it was in the attic and the windows were very small, so we didn't bother with curtains. He could see the moon from those three windows. Maybe it was because he loves space and his room was decorated with rockets, stars, and a moon night light. Maybe it was because we read lots of books about the real astronauts who went to the moon and he had pictures of those guys on his dresser. Maybe it was because my dad talks to Soren about the moon and space all the time. Maybe he thinks his eyes glow white because, if the moon is very bright and it's dark in his room and he looks in a mirror, his eyes reflect the moon's light and look like they glow. He used to tell me he hated to look in mirrors when it was dark because he didn't want to see his eyes glow.
I remembered all of this and thought they were reasonable explanations for the story. I also know that Soren talks to himself. He comes by that honestly! I hear him whispering before he falls asleep. I hear him whispering when he wakes up at midnight to go to the bathroom. If he's talking to himself, he might be pretending to talk to the moon. He could even be imagining his friend the moon to help comfort himself when he's scared. Who's the most comforting person we know and the person he looks up to the most? Granddad.
I felt a little relieved when I figured it all out. But I also felt a little sad. And old. And Tired. I liked how I felt while Soren was telling the story. I liked feeling of being swept up in my imagination, with my seven-year-old son. So, I choose to go with Soren on this one. He told me this story because it's true. The moon really talks to him and it's voice is low and rumbling, just like my dad's is when he reads bedtime stories and we're trying to calm down. The moon is his friend. The moon teaches him things, love him and watches over him always. That's the explanation that makes me the happiest.
This morning, Soren referred to his friend the moon again. I said, "Wait! The moon is made of rock! It is an object, not a person!"
He proceeded to tell me that the moon can talk and he is the only one who can understand him. The moon comes to him at midnight. The moon's voice is indescribable.
"Does his voice sound like Granddad's?"
"YES! How did you know? Can you hear the moon, too?"
"Yes. I can. If I really listen. I've been talking to the moon for a long time, when I think no one is listening."
"Mom, that's not true. I'm the only one who can hear the moon. Maybe you talk to the moon, but you can't hear him!"
"How do you know? Maybe you can hear him because I can hear him. Maybe I passed that power down to you in your DNA. I am your mother, after all. And, why do you think the moon sounds like Granddad? Granddad is my father. Granddad's voice is all around us. It's in our DNA. It's in our dreams. Why wouldn't it be in the moon's voice, too?"
"Well, when the moon comes to me at midnight, my eyes glow white, just like the moon. This only happens when the moon is full, because the sunlight is fully reflected. The moon shoots beams of light into my eyes."
"Wow. Where did you get that idea, about the glowing eyes?"
"What do you mean? That's what's been happening for ever! I didn't just make it up today!"
"Oh, of course. I thought maybe you were telling me about a dream or an idea for a story. It sounds like the beginning of a really good book, or movie!"
"Mom, this isn't a story. This is the truth. This has been going on since I was a baby and it will go on forever. I'm the only one who understands this secret."
I was getting a little creeped out at this point. The hairs were standing up on the back of my neck and goose bumps were appearing on my arms. I shook it off and said, "Do you think this came from the dream you had about the scary moon owl when you were little? Remember when we went to the zoo when you were less than two? You saw the big owl in the nocturnal house and you were frozen. I couldn't tell if you were interested or terrified, until you looked at me with tears in your eyes and said, 'I don't like his eyes!'"
"Yes, I remember the owl. Yes I remember the dream I used to have about the owl. He became my friend in the dream. It was a snowy owl, not a scary moon owl."
"Oh, right. But do you think that maybe you had the idea about the moon because of the 'moon owl'?"
"Mom, the moon isn't an idea. The moon is real! You see it every day!"
"Yes, but I mean the idea that the moon comes to you at midnight and your eyes glow white and you talk to him. Do you think you had that idea because of a dream?"
"Oh, Mom. You don't understand. That's okay. If you had ever heard the moon talk, you would understand. But you haven't. It's alright. He only talks to me."
I have to admit. I felt a little jealous. I want to hear the moon's voice. Does it really sound like my dad? Again, I had to shake it off. "Soren, I love this. I love that you're sharing this with me. Do you think we should write it down? I think it would be an amazing book!"
"No, I don't want to."
"Well, maybe we could write it together, just so we don't forget about it."
"I'll never forget. It happens every night at midnight. How could I forget when it happens every night?"
"Well, do you mind if I write it down? Just so I don't forget?"
"Okay, I guess that would be fine."
So, I did. And here it is. I keep trying to figure out why he's telling this story. Maybe it's because I sang, 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' every night when he was a baby and until Kieran was born. Maybe it's because his room never got completely dark at the old house because it was in the attic and the windows were very small, so we didn't bother with curtains. He could see the moon from those three windows. Maybe it was because he loves space and his room was decorated with rockets, stars, and a moon night light. Maybe it was because we read lots of books about the real astronauts who went to the moon and he had pictures of those guys on his dresser. Maybe it was because my dad talks to Soren about the moon and space all the time. Maybe he thinks his eyes glow white because, if the moon is very bright and it's dark in his room and he looks in a mirror, his eyes reflect the moon's light and look like they glow. He used to tell me he hated to look in mirrors when it was dark because he didn't want to see his eyes glow.
I remembered all of this and thought they were reasonable explanations for the story. I also know that Soren talks to himself. He comes by that honestly! I hear him whispering before he falls asleep. I hear him whispering when he wakes up at midnight to go to the bathroom. If he's talking to himself, he might be pretending to talk to the moon. He could even be imagining his friend the moon to help comfort himself when he's scared. Who's the most comforting person we know and the person he looks up to the most? Granddad.
I felt a little relieved when I figured it all out. But I also felt a little sad. And old. And Tired. I liked how I felt while Soren was telling the story. I liked feeling of being swept up in my imagination, with my seven-year-old son. So, I choose to go with Soren on this one. He told me this story because it's true. The moon really talks to him and it's voice is low and rumbling, just like my dad's is when he reads bedtime stories and we're trying to calm down. The moon is his friend. The moon teaches him things, love him and watches over him always. That's the explanation that makes me the happiest.
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