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By Kelli Bowen
I had a more active week than normal on the calendar, and was to be gone most of the week. Miss A especially doesn’t take too kindly to me being gone, especially at bedtime, so I tried to ease the pain by offering to take her to the new animated movie she’s been eyeing. It was scheduled to play opening weekend in a town 15 miles from us. This seemed to do the trick.
When the busy week was upon us, Hubby texted me to tell me the movie isn’t playing. I went on their website and it was no longer playing in the town closest to us. I found it in a small town 30 miles away, playing later in the evening than we’d like, or in Fargo all day the next day. We settled on a trip to Fargo to see the movie the next day. Miss A was a little upset to delay her movie-itch, but with the promise of comfy chairs and better snacks, she agreed.
Fast forward to movie time. It turns out we were the ONLY people who were in the whole theater, so we had our own showing, which was good because we also found out we bought tickets for the 3-D version. None of us had been to a 3-D movie. Miss A shrieked and laughed out loud and the theater was filled with “WOAH!!!” and “Ack!” and “Holy Canole!” from our 8-year-old. She ate all her snack tray and her lemonade. It was apparent she was having the BEST DAY EVER.
After the movie and credits, the lights came up, and we were all riding that new movie high out to the pickup. Then Miss A said she wanted to see it again! I said, “I’m sure it will be out in a few weeks on streaming or to purchase, and we can get it.” “Okay!” she responded. As we drove, there was a noticeable change, and a sadness covered her little face. I told her sometimes when we look forward to something for a long time, and it comes, it can leave us feeling sad when it’s over. She said it wasn’t that. She just felt sad and Hubby carried her because she said she needed a hug.
A little later, tears fell down her face silently. I asked what was wrong and she said she was just sad. She said she liked the movie a lot and didn’t understand why she couldn’t watch it again. I said it isn’t like at home where we can watch a disc or pull up a movie instantly. This movie was only in theaters and you have to pay to go. Ladies and gentlemen: have a COVID kid. Miss A was trying to make sense of having to wait when she is so used to Googling, instant this, right now that, this idea of having to wait for something she knew existed was making silent tears fall down her face.
We didn’t Band-Aid the sadness with another video or a device or any other kind of stimuli. We sat in the feeling and went on the rest of our errands. She was so sad and said she was already forgetting the movie, and I said that’s okay. Waiting is okay. This weekend we will play board games, make lefse and decorate but I think we will try to stay away from all things instant gratification.
May your holiday be filled with slowdowns, boredom, and memories that last.
Kelli makes her home in Cass County with her husband, two daughters (11 and 8) and two dogs. She works for a regional seed company by day and tries to be an alright mom, wife, friend and writer by night.
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