The Things They Remember

Last night I was lying in bed with my monsters and out of the blue Kassidy asked me:

Kassidy: Do you remember that time we went to the pond and I almost drowned?

(To say "drowned" is a little overdramatic - more like went under twice. And yes my dear, mommy clearly remembers it and the stop at the gas station after when mommy was so upset she left the gas cap sitting on top of the car as we drove away and mommy was crying all the way home because my little angel had felt like she was going to drown and was hysterical in the back seat all the way home and then you had night terrors about it for well over 6 months - it sorta rings a bell somewhere in my memory banks. My question is: you are 7 3/4 now and you were 3 1/2, maybe 4 at the time of the incident - how do you remember it in such great detail as if it just happend yesterday?)

Me: Well, you didn't almost drown but yes I remember it.

Kassidy: Tell me the story.

Me: Well, I was holding your brother who was a baby at the time and you went a little too far out where you couldn't touch the ground anymore. Your head went under the water, you came up, you went under again and the nice lady standing next to you grabbed you for me and we got out of the water.

Kassidy: That was really nice of her to save my life. She was a nice lady. I was really scared. (Yea, the look of horror on your face is embedded into my memory forever!)

Me: I am really sorry that happened. It was my fault.

Kassidy: It is ok. I just wanted to talk about it (4 years later?).

After which I got a kiss on the cheek and was told it was given to me so that I could sleep better that night. Fat chance of that happening now that the pond trauma is FRESH in my brain again.

And with that Shane asked us to stop talking about it so he could sleep and off to lala land they went. Mommy on the other hand struggled with the mean monster Mr. Guilt for the rest of the night!

They say that elephants never forget - I wonder if they are autistic too?