Looking Forward

When I was little, I would constantly ask my parents if they were excited about upcoming events. On the way to a birthday party at an ice skating rink: “Are you excited?” Visiting extended cousins: “Are you excited?” Heading to a Girl Scout camping trip: “Are you excited?” On the way to a movie: “Are you excited?” Any time I felt excited, I’d assume they felt the identically.

Without fail, they’d respond the same way. “Excited? We’re looking forward to it,” they’d explain. I remember thinking it was so strange that my parents weren’t as enthusiastic as I was about a country fair or skating or a Paula Abdul concert. How sad it must be to get old, I reflected. Of course, I never thought to ask if they were excited about their trips abroad or grown up events or anything that I didn’t happen to be counting down the days to. It’s a child’s job to be self absorbed.

We went to the beach over the weekend for a quick trip away. As I was listing all of the plans for the kids — the walk on the boardwalk, the ice cream, the games, the pool, the beach, Lily happily asked if I was excited. “Excited?” I thought about it. “Not excited, really. I’m looking forward to it.” And I was.

I am, however, quite excited for things like the first day of school.

And, I have officially turned into my parents.