Draper Family

When I was eight years old I remember going with my parents to ZCMI. In my mind ZCMI was like a wonderland full of beautiful things and yummy treats to eat. While my parents were browsing, I went exploring. I saw shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses. All of which I really wanted. My eyes came across a spinning display of beautiful rings. The rings were small. Perfect for a girl my age. They had a dangling jewel that was connected by a tiny chain to the center of the ring. I wanted one. Badly.

I knew if I asked my parents to buy one for me, they would surly say no. After all, I had a jewelry box full of little bracelets, necklaces, and rings at home. Why would I need another. But I wanted one. In that moment I made a decision to put one on my finger and walk away. I could easily hide it from my mother until I got home. I was so excited to show my best friend Julie the ring. She would love it too.

I never did get to show that ring to Julie. On our way out of the store that day, my mother caught a glimpse of the ring and asked where I got it. I quickly came up with a lie and hoped it would satisfy her curiosity. If I had known then what I know now, I would have never lied because as we know, mothers always know when their children are lying. I was questioned about that ring the entire way home. Eventually I cracked and told the truth. I had stolen the ring.

I felt terrible. My mother was completely devastated. My dad....well, my dad was just plain mad. I was lectured until we were all exhausted and was sent to my room to think about what I had done.

A little while later, my dad came to escort me back to the mall. I knew what I had done was wrong and was completely willing to return the ring to the exact spot it had been taken from. Unbenounced to me, my dad had another plan. With his hand on the back of my neck (the way he always did when we were in trouble), I was delivered straight to the head of security.

He was big and scary and I was terrified. "How could they send an eight year old to jail?", I thought. The man talked with me for a while in his office and then I was freed. Free to go home. Free to endure a long ride home with my dad.

Ok, so you may be asking yourself why I am sharing this story from my childhood and what is has to do with the picture of an opened tube of Rolos at the top of this post. Well, life came full circle today and hit me square in the face. My almost two year old, stole these from the Smiths where we were shopping today. He had been riding in one of those toy car carts. You know the ones where the children can sit in the front and steer the cart and honk the horn? Well, apparently he wanted a "nummy". So he took one. Now I know that he isn't even two years old and that he had no idea of what he was doing. Trust me, I'm not devastated. I actually thought it was kind of funny to see how he had gnawed his way through the wrapper and into the chocolate with his sharp little vampire teeth. There was chocolate everywhere. Caramel too. How did he do that so fast? My point is that I'm not devastated. However it has got me thinking about the life lessons that are ahead, the things I will have to teach him, and the major responsibility that being a parent is. I guess I better buckle myself in and get ready for the ride.