I met up with my college friends yesterday. Freya, Naj's gifted child, thinks I am only ten years old. I don't know why she had that impression. I mean, that was just our second meeting (the first time was during her first birthday) and I definitely do not look young. Hello, gray hairs and fine lines! But as the day went on, I noticed that Freya enjoyed my company more than the others. She would always go to my side of the table. She would ask me stuff like do I play Call of Duty or any video games. She would invite me to dance with her (in public!), which was sort of embarrassing, but since I was with a 5-year-old kid, it was also kind of OK. At one point, I took her away from everyone to show her beautifully decorated animal cookies -- no stranger danger reflex whatsoever! We played PokemonGo while everyone else was busy discussing old people problems. When we had to part ways, she cried and made me promise to attend her birthday party next month. She told her mom that I was not her favorite tita, but I was her favorite playmate.
Maybe she was comfortable around me because I did not make her feel that she was just a tag along; or because I did not take her interests and actions as juvenile or improper; or because I did not correct her when she said that I am just 10 years old. I think kids are drawn to me because I do not have that parent vibe. After all these years, I remain to be a Peter Pan.
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