by Kiki Mcdonald

Created on: May 28, 2008

Today, for Valentine's Day, we got to write our journal entry to someone else in class." My six year old son is telling me this as we drive home.

"Whom did you write yours to?" I ask him, already knowing the answer; he has had an unflagging love for the same girl since he was three years old and she tried to choke him on the preschool playground. Her name is Griffin, and unfortunately, half of his first grade class shares his steadfast love of Griffin. "You know." he says. "Well," I ask, "what did you write?" I watch him in the rear view mirror as he tries to remember exactly, precisely. "February 14, 2007. Roses are red, Violets are Blue, and I hope you will be my Valentine. Love, Finn."

"Did she say anything to you about it?" I ask, tentatively. "No, I put it in her box; she didn't see me do it. I saw her put it in her backpack before she left though, so she will probably read it when she gets home." I can see in the mirror that he is staring out the car window wistfully.

The day before I had e-mailed my friend a friend of mine in New York, an accomplished writer and stand-up comedian. I was sending a short note of encouragement for a big show she had coming up on Valentine's Day. I had, in jest, mentioned that Finn had graciously volunteered her the use of his favorite joke (which he based on "do these pants make my butt look big") in case she had a lull in her performance. It goes like this: Does this athletic cup make my penis look big? He thinks it is flat out hilarious.

Later in the evening, I was getting out of the shower and Finn came in the bathroom. "Did I tell you?" he said "that Griffin wrote her journal entry to Zach P. (another boy in his first grade class)?" And that is when my heart broke just a little, just the way he said it. He knew this all along, that Griffin was giving her heart to Zach P., but still, he wrote his journal entry to Griffin. "Zach P. lies and he cheats in class and he gets in trouble a lot. But everybody likes him because he's funny, he makes them laugh."

"Sweetie, you are funny too, and you aren't funny because you are getting in trouble. You are funny because you are smart. And, you don't cheat or lie."
I can tell he is mulling this over, wondering if it is true or if it is just something your Mom says to make you feel better about yourself. And suddenly, suddenly, the most beatific, triumphant smile lights up his face. "Yeah," he says" and Zach P. doesn't have a famous comedian in NY telling his jokes right this minute either." No, sweetheart, Zach P. most certainly does not.

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