Undoing the Past

Everybody certainly has a regret or two — some probably have more than that. Mine, luckily, are far from anything serious and not even with mentioning here since I’d likely be (rightfully) flooded with comments about the high quality of my life and standard of living.

But it’s Her¹‘s regrets that are sapping me.

She is just starting to have some regrets of her own, but at the age of 3 is lucky enough to have a brain that know there’s a way to change everything.

Endowed with a brain that has realized that everything can be made good with a little help from mamma or papa, coming to grips with situations that have already ended in a way that deviates from her notion of how things should work out.

Here’s a look:

Her¹: Mamma, I’d like some sausage from the butcher.
Her⁰: Oh, the butcher is closed already, sweetie. You can have some at home.
Her¹, unhappily acquiesces.

Later at home:

Her⁰: heres a piece of sausage for you ( it’s the end piece and therefore rounded)
Foreseeable fit begins
Her¹: non, I don’t want a round piece I want a normal piece
Her⁰: They all taste the same

A call to Opa, a butcher, to confirm that, yes, even the sausage on the end tastes like middle pieces consoles Her¹, who wolfs down the meat.

Later, setting the table for dinner:

Her^0: Look, I found some more meat, you can have another piece!
New, unexpected fit begins
Her¹: Nooooo, that’s what I wanted to eat before

Does she think there is some magical, medical way we can empty her stomach and replace the meat with the newly re-found middle piece? Does she not understand that this new sausage will be in addition to the round piece from earlier in the evening and that we, in fact, do not intend to pump her stomach in order to replace what she has already eaten?

Faking it

Luckily, Her¹‘s mind remains malleable enough for us to mold it just enough to limit the size and quantity of regret-related tantrums. We pretend to recreate the situation in whatever atmosphere is available, which, surprisingly enough, placates Her¹ to the point where she again assumed her angelic side.

We’re in trouble the day Her¹ realizes that her bedroom is not the butcher.

Thanks to sinosplice for the picture!