10 September 2008

I Like You: Here's Why.

Freya and I took a bath together tonight. Well, it was my bath originally, which is not important except that I like to put oil in my baths, so it was slippery and also very, very hot.

Freya was standing, holding the bar on the side of the tub and sliding down into a split, over and over and over...

Idly, I held her other hand and read aloud to her from a short story by Jorge Luis Borges - with feeling! - "...theological and metaphysical arguments, all clearly stated, coherent, without any apparent dogmatic intention or parodic undertones. The eleventh volume of which I speak refers--"

One of her splits turned unexpectedly into a pirouette.

"Careful, Frey," I said, "I don't want you to die, I like you."

"I love you, too," she said, intent on returning to sliding splits.

"I didn't say I love you," I corrected, "I said I like you. I mean, I love you too, but, it's different. Do you know what the difference between liking someone and loving someone is?"

Blank look - well deserved.

"Well," I persisted, "what does it meant to like someone?"

"People are not stupid," she offered.

"Debatable, but not the point. What does it mean when you love someone?"

She looked thoughtful for a minute, "You don't call them stupid or idiot."

"Well, yeah, you're nice to them, right? Because you care about them. So what does it mean if you like someone?"

"You give them stuff," she paused, "stuff you don't want anymore."

At this point we were interrupted, which is almost definitely to the good. When we returned to the question I took a more concrete approach: "Who do you love?"

"Um, Aurora, and Oscar and Kehr," she paused, "and Riva. I love you and Daddy and Matilda, too, but not as much as Riva. She took me to a museum."

Not sure where to go from here, I made an executive decision and ended the conversation.

Clearly Freya is not quite ready philosophical conversations about the nature of love and while I wait, I should maybe take her to some museums.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

That's some kinda bath conversation! As always, Freya rules!! I miss you in real time.. X

Anonymous said...

I am telling you right now, you can't win this one.

Marni said...

That's freaking hilarious!

Unknown said...

Tell Freya I love her too!

Anonymous said...

I love this philosophical aside, and the fact that you were reading Borges to her!

Unknown said...

I think i should take her to some museums too! miss you.