Lasso the Moon

I was driving home from swimming lessons with the two oldest girls this weekend when Noli noticed the moon.  She's quite fascinated by the moon and has been for a few months now.  Evie also found it quite interesting how the moon seemed to follow us when we moved but stayed still when we stopped.  I think we spoke about the moon for the entire car ride home, which suits me just fine as I've always been rather fond of the moon and other things space related.

The funny thing is that part way home, Noli asked in all seriousness, "Daddy, will you try to get the moon down for me one day?"  (To my knowledge, she hasn't seen It's a Wonderful Life yet).

It never ceases to amaze me how much confidence kids exhibit in their parents - especially their fathers.  Whether it be capturing the moon or fighting a bear to protect them, my girls don't ever seem to doubt that I can do it.  We fathers have great expectations to fulfill and sometimes lack the means to accomplish them.

It's sometimes hard to balance the desire to give to the girls and the need to withhold so as not to spoil them.  I sometimes think that if it is within my means to give them somethings simple, why wouldn't I?  Does any father want to hold back any good gift from their child?  But surely there is a time to restrain from giving our children all their hearts' desires even if we could.

I guess it's a matter of balancing their wants and their needs and determining what is good for them.  Momentary, temporal goodness doesn't necessarily equate long term or big picture goodness.  For example...for an extreme example...if it was within my power to get the moon down for Noli, it doesn't mean that it would be the good thing to do.  In fact it would be bad, very bad for Noli and everyone else.  Can you imagine the havoc that would wreak on tides...among other things? I understand the desire to give but it isn't always the good thing...or the right thing to do.

So I guess Noli will just have to keep enjoying the moon in the sky, where it belongs, where all the world's children are free to share in its beauty and mystique.  Something tells me that she'll be good with that.