So when she asked me which one I wanted, I said, with all the innocent honesty of a young child, "Both."
She said, "Then you don't get any."
And she meant it.
How many times in our lives are we given a choice between A and B, and told that we can only have one of them? And how many times in our lives does our indecision leave us with neither one?
It was a harsh lesson to learn, at that young age, and the inhibitions that it built into me have burdened me all of my life.
When my kids were young, we brought out two different kinds of pie for dessert. Just like when I was a child, there was only enough pie for each person in the family to have one piece. One of my children looked longingly at both of them, silent tears forming in her eyes.
I said, "Why don't we give you half a piece of each? Somebody else can take the other halves."
And I meant it.
My children learned a different lesson from the one I learned. Not all of them learned that lesson, but the ones that did have gone on in life to sample and enjoy choices A and B, and also C, D and E. Their lives are richer because nobody put artificial limits on their freedom to choose during their formative years.
ADDED JUNE 8, 2024: AN UNEXPECTED THIRD CHAPTER
On June 8, 2024, our kids threw a retirement party for us. The party included at least seven different kinds of root beer, other assorted soft drinks, catered food, and six pies from Perkins. I was enjoying myself and visiting with some guests, when that same daughter, now 40 years old and very accomplished in life, asked me what kind of pie I wanted. I asked, "Can I have half a slice of apple and half a slice of lemon meringue, and someone else can take the other halves?"
She smiled, ran off, and came back with my two kinds of pie. It sounds corny to say, but the circle was complete.
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