Moon Stalker Madness!

As my children’s knowledge of the world around them grows every day, I sometimes forget that they are only young children and as young children, they don’t always realize that we are not the center of the universe.  Recently, my daughter (almost 5) has been acting strangely every time we are in the car at night.  She stares up at the night sky and gets the weirdest expressions on her face.

At first, I merely assumed it was because it was late and she was tired.  Last week, though, I noticed that she was having frequent nightmares and finally asked her why she had been acting strangely and having bad dreams.  As I sat on the edge of her bed trying to comfort her, she looked cautiously out her bedroom window and whispered, “The moon is being mean!”

Immediately, I whispered back, “What do you mean the moon is being mean?!”

She blinked her big brown eyes at me and clutched her stuffed animals to her chest.  “It is everywhere and it won’t stop following me!  When we’re in the car it’s there.  When I look out my window it’s there.  And even when Daddy goes super fast it’s always there.  It’s creepy!  Why won’t it just stay where it’s s’ppose to?”

I gave her a big hug and then sat her in my lap.  I explained to her that the moon isn’t alive.  It’s just a hunk of rock going around our world in outer space.  It is always where it is supposed to be.  Since it is so big, it is very hard to get away from it.  There is nothing to worry about at all when it comes to the moon.

My sweet girl let out a sigh of relief and said, “Okay!”

I tucked her back in, gave her one last goodnight kiss, and reminded her that the next time something was scaring her, she should tell me right away.  She smiled and then drifted off to sleep, dreaming peaceful, happy dreams at last.

As I watched over her for a while, I smiled to myself remembering my own moon misconceptions as a child.  At one time I, too, thought the moon was stalking me.  Later, though, I was convinced that a silly old man lived on the moon and watched me as I tried to see him, eating moon cheese all night long.  (That was also my theory as to why the moon changes shape.  The man keeps eating and eating until he has to stop and make more moon cheese!)

I also wondered what other silly misconceptions lie hidden in the minds of my own children--and someday, my grandchildren.  What crazy times might lie in store for all of us!  In the end, though I couldn’t help but laugh because if my kids and grandkids turn out to be anything like me, they will have a zillion!