2002-12-22
Shrink-O

When my daughter was in preschool, her classroom had this wonderful children's book. It looked to have been written in the 1950s or 1960s, and there was a little elephant who wanted to be smaller, so he got doused in "Shrink-O". "Shrink-O" was a laundry product that could shrink things for you. I wish I could find a copy of this book. That's really all I remember. I only read it once, but the "Shrink-O" part stuck with me.

I've been doing some intensive cleaning around my house, and I just stumbled across my daughter's 2nd grade pictures. She's in 6th grade now. Sneaking on makeup when she's not in school, and listening to music that sometimes makes me cringe. Jr. High next year. All the usual growing-up stuff.

I want to pour "Shrink-O" all over her.

Not forever. "Shrink-O" caused problems for the little elephant, or course. The "Shrink-O" eventually wore off. He came to realize that he was just the right size for an elephant. I'm not interested in making my daughter small FOREVER. I know she has a life of her own.

But...just give me a day. A day to take her back to when she was littler. She was so precious. So new.

I didn't know that then. I was too busy with the day-to-day stuff. I know she was only seven, but she was the biggest she'd ever been at that point so she seemed big to me. I didn't have the perspective I do now.

I want a chance to marvel at her. A chance to KNOW how big she's going to be and what sort of things will be coming so I can just sit and stare at her in awe and hug and cuddle her and say "Look at how LITTLE you are!"

24-hour "Shrink-O". The web search, thus far, has not found it.

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