I have had several marriage proposals in my life – most of which were from small children. Well, the serious proposals were from the kids, the joking proposals were from adults.
What’s always amused me even more than these proposals is when somebody ‘offers’ me a husband that isn’t them. I’ve gotten this from girl friends at college offering me their brothers, family-friend-dads offering me their sons, and my favorite – little kids offering their dads, brothers, uncles, and yes… grandfathers.
I had one such offer yesterday. I was looking after a classroom full of 1st through 4th grade kids, most of which I don’t know (because I only really get face time with my second graders). This little 1st grade boy who had been giving me trouble all day walks up to me and
‘Miss Ratajczak, do you have a husband?’
‘…erm, no…?’ (I get this question from my students an alarming number of times, but it still always catches me by surprise.)
‘Oh, well, you can have my Uncle Darryl!’
Um. Thank you?
I still never know how to respond to this. I don’t even understand how it pops into the minds of these little kids. Do they hear their families talking about how Uncle Darryl needs a wife? Or are they really that worried that I won’t find someone? (Or is it really just that obvious that I’m one hundred and five percent single?) For now I’m going to chalk it up to the fact that Valentine’s Day is coming up, and spring is approaching, and love is in the air…
Nothing Was Said 