Life Full Circle

Yesterday I had one of those "life coming full circle" moments.  I took Abigail to see Tangled. (If you aren't familiar, it's the story of Rapunzel.) We took off in the afternoon and went to the local theatre. Stood in line. Got tickets. Got her a box with a little popcorn, gummy bears, fruit punch and a pair of 3D glasses (kid size). Abigail picked the seats (high up and one the side). It wasn't crowded, so we had lots of room to sprall everything out. The timing couldn't be better. After we got everything settled and in place the previews started. She laughed at the previews (mostly Yogi Bear) and how the images "went right up to her glasses".  And then it started.

She's so small, she could barely keep the seat down. She was leaned back and the chair was still partly folded making her legs stretch all the way out with two small feet barely dangling off the end. Her tiny little hand would reach over and select a gummy bear. She'd whisper (not really to me or anyone else but herself) "it's a red one" or "it's a yellow one". Then a piece of popcorn and a sip of drink. Occasionally she'd look over with those giant black glasses (even at kid size they were huge on her face) and tell me what was going to happen. "The prince is going to save her," she'd say with a grin. Then, just as quickly, she'd turn back, not to miss an instant. 

I was thankful it was dark and we had on glasses. It allowed the giant tears to roll down both cheeks without detection. When I was her age, my Aunt Mary took me to all the Disney shows. She would take me to lunch (preferably The Magic Pan for crepes, but other places too) and to the movies. Just us. I always loved that and I remember everything on the screen being bigger than life. And now I was here with my little niece, wondering what was going on in her little mind. She looked so small and it was just one of those priceless moments.  Time goes so fast, and when you are so far away and see each other so few times a year, it goes even faster. I cried that she would forgive me that I was not going to be half the aunt that Mary was to me. I cried that everytime I see her, she's taller and smarter and more "grown up". I cried because I was so happy to have this chance to have this outing.  I cried...well, I cried until I had to go to the bathroom. 

Had we not asked Abigail to go at least a dozen times before we left?  I could hold it. It's a kid movie, how long could it be. I shifted and wiggled in my seat.  "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I leaned over and asked hoping for a "Yes Aunt Kimmy, I've been dying for you to ask!"  But only got a "no".  "Okay." I said. I sat on one foot.  How could I get up? I could get up and slip in and slip out and no one would know. No one would "steal" her. I mean really. She'll be fine. Nope, can't do it. I can hold it. I don't want her to miss this "bad guy chase" that seems to be going on FOREVER!!  Let's get on with this, can't we??  Wiggle, wiggle....did I really want her memory to be of the "time that Auny Kimmy wet her pants at the movies".  I could hear that one being told over and over.  I started thinking about filing out of a kid movie and how long that takes....the kids in line after the bathroom taking forever. Even I could hold it until then, it'd be a long wait.  I leaned over. "Abigail, let's go the bathroom."  "No." "Please?" "Okay", she said looking up with those glasses.  She got her tiny little frame down and bounded down the steps like no tomorrow and into the bathroom we went. Fortunately she had to go too, and she took off back up the stairs and to her seat.  Someone was still chasing someone, so no harm no foul. And I sat there a MUCH happier aunt until the last credits rolled.     

After the movie, Mary would always buy me the soundtrack. I had a little record player and I would wear the records out. I was pretty sure that Abigail didn't have a record player, so we went to Target and she picked out a Rapunzel doll to remember our special outing. The outing meant more to me than to her on so many levels, but I think she has a fun memory and a keepsake to remember it by now.  

It was one of those things I will always remember and I'm sure at her graduation, her wedding, whatever life has in store for her, a part of me will always see her the way she was that day, feet dangling at the end of a movie chair.