It all began with the announcements of pregnancy and updates on fetal growth (“The little bean is as big as a shrimp today! Next month, it’s an avocado!”). This was soon followed by glossy newborn photographs and humorous birth tales (“Who was the one crawling around naked in front of strangers? That would be Droplet’s Mom!”). These posts quickly transitioned into adorable highchair moments smeared with banana, leading into classic dinner party stories about diaper blowouts.
Before we knew it, we were capturing “First day of (insert grade here)!” photos featuring a wide-eyed, lanky child struggling under the weight of a backpack that could rival Mount Everest.
Now, we’ve reached a whole new stage. Droplet, as we’ll call her, shares profound thoughts like, “Today my teacher introduced us to Sartre. I like it better than Camus—it made me feel… I don’t know. Like life is just a series of goodbyes. Then we went out for recess and played four square.”
Reflecting on our own childhood, we realize our parents didn’t document our every word. In fact, they were too occupied—often enjoying a drink or lighting a cigarette with a fiery car lighter while we rolled around, unrestrained, in the back seat.
Droplet, however, is a savvy social media user with a Twitter account and engagement metrics that would astound any parent. She’s aware of how many Likes she earns on Facebook, but does that diminish the emotional weight of her online scrapbook? I believe not. While the rules of the game have shifted, the love from her parents remains unchanged. They cherish her deeply, regardless of her academic scores or whether she’s reading in French.
This leads me to ponder what Droplet will share in her later years. Picture her, in a time when platforms like Earthlink or MySpace seem ancient, perhaps once again eating mashed bananas and wearing diapers. What will she have left to say when her Facebook-addicted parents are long gone, and her Ivy League days are behind her, with her own child ignoring her calls? Not much, I’d wager. It’s challenging to type when you’re curled up on the bed, drooling and helpless, resembling that little shrimp once more.
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In summary, the cycle of life and parenting continues to evolve, especially in the realm of social media, where memories are captured and shared in real-time. The essence of love and connection, however, remains timeless.