Family Secrets

Brandy and I have learned that if you want to keep a secret don't tell it to Emma, our five-year-old daughter. She is a good little girl that wants to keep secrets but for some unknown reason is completely incapable of it at this stage of her life.

I think we found out about Emma's trait when she was younger, possibly as she was Christmas shopping with her mother. Emma would get home and even though she had been sworn to secrecy she would start giving hints to whoever was to receive the gift and then, before you know it, she would just tell the person and the surprise would be gone.

I share the information above for context.

You see, yesterday Emma walked in my room, and Rebekah's birthday present was on my bed (her birthday is Friday). It had just arrived in the mail and was still in a box. I had ordered it online and wanted to see what it looked like, so I asked Emma if she would like to get an early peek at her sister's birthday present.

Of course, she wanted to see it immediately. That's when I paused and remembered her issues with keeping secrets about gifts. I then explained that she wasn't very good at keeping secrets, and told her I was not going to show her the gift.

She tried to press me, explaining that she could keep a secret. When I expressed doubt she said she would tell me a secret she had not told anybody.

I waited. The anticipation was unbearable, then seconds later she dropped a bombshell that I didn't see coming.

With a serious look on her face she excitedly told me that "mom can fly. She told me!"

I asked Brandy later how come in all the years we have been married she never told me she could fly. She explained to me that earlier that day Emma was quizzing her about how Brandy was able to go so many places in such a short amount of time.

I don't know exactly why Brandy did it but she told Emma "because I can fly, but don't tell dad because he doesn't know."

And this is how I found out that not only does Emma have trouble keeping secrets, she also believes anything you tell her.