Not My Mystery

Funny things happen everyday. Really, they do and the only difference in my world is that what I find funny is not always shared by others around me. I have a very dry and sarcastic wit and I always thought I appreciated that in others until I met my match...my own child.

For a 10 year old her sarcastic craft definitely has some maturing and molding to become a true dry wit, but by God she is developing a sense of humor that will make the Sahara Desert look like a tropical oasis. She is quick, her delivery is perfectly timed and she gives nothing away in either her speech or expressions. She is brilliant even in light of the fact that her favorite punch line is usually me.

Oh yes, I have gotten what I deserve. I have bred one just like me. She is my payback. She is my mini me. She is good and she knows it. She knows my buttons and pushes them like the maestro she is. She is 10 years old damn it! What hope is there for me when she hits her teens?

Don't believe me? Please allow me to share a little story.

I am notorious for misplacing my keys. The frantic search as I am heading out the door is common place in our home and while I know it is futile I still ask the question to my loving family..."Has anyone seen my keys?".  Most often the universal response is a mumbled "no" offered in such a manner that it is certain that the question was not even heard and the standard response will appease Mom enough so they can return to whatever electronic device has them captured to the point of a near coma. But one day the standard and expected answer was not used. From the mouth of my sweet girl a different answer emerged and as I was frantically searching through my purse for what was sure the third or fourth time the response offered to me was..."Not my mystery".

Not my mystery? Not my...what? Did you just say...? WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

There she sat with a slight smirk on her face and a shrug to her shoulder. It was not her mystery. Plain and simple and she knew she had me.

It was one of those moments that defines who we are. How I reacted to this one statement could possibly shape our relationship for years to come. So I did what I felt was the only thing I could do, I laughed my head off. The pride that I felt was almost overwhelming. Her response was smart, hilarious and delivered with perfection. It was beautiful and I told her so.

I also told her that if she ever used that line on me again it could possibly be the last words she would ever utter.