Emma Loves

Emma is the daughter of my friend and 'daughter', Lindsay, who helps me with all of my computer illiteracy problems and with life in general. Emma is 6. She has a 4 year old sister, Adi. Gil is their father and he is like a son to me. He looks very much like my son, Philip, age 23, especially in his high school pictures. The other day, Philip said to me, "I miss my Emma so much." And he sighed with longing for his little dear. I talked with Lindsay that same day, and Emma was missing Philip especially that day as well. Lindsay decided to ask Emma "What is it that you love so much about Philip?" These were her answers.

I like his baby pigs.
I like Auntie Annette's toys.
Philip and me is going to get a horse.
Philip and me are going to drink coffee.
His beard is beautiful.
His pigs are cutie.
Mom and Dad pigs are my favorite.
We can make cookies together.
I will take Philip to the dairy bar at UCONN.
Because he is my favorite guy
and I'm in love with him.
(This statement was followed by tears.)

Then she drew a beautiful picture of Philip and her on their wedding day. They have big smiles on their faces and little hearts are floating around their heads and also around the heads of their two children, a boy and a girl, who are happily standing beside them.

Philip loved reading the above when it came in the mail the other day. He was going to take the masterpiece and tack it up in his room but I yelled, "Wait a minute! I'm framing that!" And he said, "Oh, good. I just didn't want it to get lost."

Emma is waiting to grow up a bit more in order to marry Philip.

She told me one time that when her hair is long like Rapunzel's,
then she will be Philip's bride.
Freeman remembers when Lindsay tried to explain
to Emma that Philip was also growing older
as she grows older and she looked at Lindsay
with the expression, "Silly Mama."

Emma's been dreaming about marrying Philip for half of her lifetime.

Philip is not sure how he is going to sneak in a marriage to some one else without Emma's knowing. We're hoping that in a year or two, she will understand better.

There are times when Gil or Lindsay feel compelled to tell Emma that it might not work out for her to marry Philip and her response is heartbreakingly pitiful and yet one cannot help but laugh.(Secretly, of course.) They have decided not to broach the subject again until their video camera is cued and running because as Chi Alpha missionaries, they look for ways to supplement their income, and winning the grand prize in America's Funniest Home Videos, just might be the ticket. They are not cruel people in any sense of the word. Afterall, Lindsay cries while she laughs when observing Emma's woe, even as she tries to comfort her. You never know. Winnings from the video could pay for a very nice wedding, and the video itself, could be great entertainment at the reception, especially if Emma gets her way.