Love & Death at the age 3 and eleven twelfths

We took our daughter to see Charlotte's Web last night. (And it was a remarkably well done adaptation of the book; I wept intermittently throughout the whole thing. I seem to have completely lost my ability to ignore how sad and poignant everything in the world is, so now I outcry my wife and daughter at the movies.)

The daughter -- whose fourth birthday is a month away -- saved all her tears for afterward. This was interesting: She was happy, totally enjoying the movie etc., and then when we left the theatre she just burst into tears. We asked her if anything in the movie had upset her, and she said, no, it was Mommy hugging her -- "I have enough love!" she said, absolutely wailing. "I didn't like you hugging me! I have enough love already!" she reiterated at the top of her powerful little lungs. It was WILD.

Our theory: Charlotte's death may have caused a little displaced reaction in her. She loves to talk about death (including her cool theory that the actual bodies of people who have died are encased within the statues that commemorate them), but this was the first time she saw death rendered emotionally and with an orchestra score on the big bright screen in the dark dark room -- a rite of passage in the cinematic and emotional life of every child.

Later, feeling better on the walk home, she clarified that "I love you but I have enough love right now."

And then, once we were home and getting her ready for bed, she said with cheerful urgency: "I need some love." And threw her arms around both of us. As always, it was impossible not to comply.