Baba Time with a Tween

Bella came for Baba Time for the first time in many weeks. Because she missed celebrating her  thirteenth birthday, as it came the day before her grandfather’s funeral—and she wasn’t interested in celebrating herself right then—I offered to take her wherever she’d like to go for a birthday present. “I guess you’re too old for the toy store now,” I said offhandedly, and she raised her eyebrows, gave me the side eye and “Why would you say that?”

I said sure, if she wanted to go to the toy store, we could do that. 

On the way we talked about the Grammy Awards. Neither of us watched them, but we both deplored the top two winners, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. I asked her what people like about those two utterly boring women, and Bella rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t ask me. I think they’re both shallow, and their songs are meaningless. Maybe that’s what people like.” She prefers Sza and Lana del Rey, and she agreed with me that Tracy Chapman is amazing and has a depth Swift and Cyrus can’t even come close to. I shifted the conversation to Palestine and how important it is to understand the history of Palestine, the culture of Palestine. Very grown-up talk.

But once in the toy store, she couldn’t decide between stuffed animals and the little dollhouse toys she has enjoyed since she was two. The latter won. Back at my house she chastised me for throwing away the doll house but dug out some of the old doll house furniture I hadn't thrown away, and she played with tiny bears and rabbits, sinks and tables just as she did as a baby. I see that she isn’t in a hurry to grow up. I suspect that in a world of uncertainty and loss, it feels good to be little again. There is plenty of time to grow up.