Big hazel eyes, adorned by the lushest long lashes --enviable by any woman -- are the eyes that belong to my son, Michael. With the biggest puppy dog eyes, he looks at me and says, "Mommy?".  I turn around to find that angelic, pleading face of his, "Yes", I say. He flashes me a mischievous smile before bursting out with, " I want to take a shower with the 'man'-soap!" "Man"-soap?, you ask. Yes, it is what my 4yr old son lovingly calls any bodywash that does not come in a bottle with cartoon characters. It's the funniest thing to see him ask for it: he deepens his voice, grunts, and assumes the crab bodybuilding pose. When I ask him why he wants to bathe with the "man" soap, he expresses his desire to be a man, big & strong. I find it terribly amusing that my little child wants to grow up so fast. He reminds me so much of myself and how I wanted to be "grown up".

Now that I am an adult, I often reminisce and wish I could do childhood all over again. It really is an uncomplicated existence, no worries and no responsibilities--at least not like the kind we have as adults. Sometimes, I wish I could tell him not to hurry to grow up, it will never be as easy as this. I know though that at his age, there is no way he would understand me. Most children wish they were grown ups; while grown ups spend the rest of their lives trying not to lose touch with the inner child they hold so dear. Even if you do not see yourself as childish, or if you don't think you have an inner child; a little bit of self examination and you might be amazed. Ladies, you know who you are, in those cute little cartoon pajamas. Does Tinkerbell ring a bell? If you find yourself getting down to Justin Bieber (for the record, I loathe Justin Bieber, in case you wondered), guess what? You are feeding your inner child.  And gents, you thought I forgot you? Nope. Did you go see Transformers? Iron Man? Transformers was a cartoon and Iron Man a comic. Cartoons & comic books,  two things that are synonymous with childhood. So yes, you too are feeding your inner child. 

In the hustle and bustle of  adult-life and all the many responsibilities that come along with it, it sure brings a smile to my face to think of a simpler time when the only thing I had to worry about was making sure not to miss my favorite cartoon. I look at my children and see the life that I left long ago. A life that was full of magic and monsters, and I was the fairy princess.