My niece Abby is three years old. I got a chance to spend quite a bit of time around her (and several other nieces and nephews) on vacation this summer and it was time I cherish now.

As you can see, she has the face of an angel. Her features are delicate, ultra-feminine, a real sweetie.

I wish you could hear Abby's voice. It's clear as a bell, and in some indescribable way, teensy tiny. Her diction is excellent and her break-your-heart-voice is simply endearing music to my ears.


So you can imagine my surprise when some of us were hanging out in the stairway landing and Abby suddenly pipes up, "Oh my God!" in that tiny yet distinctive little voice of hers, for no apparent reason at all.


Maddie (the only teenager among the little ones at that time and place) and I exchanged a fleeting look of proper shock and Maddie, ever Abby's devoted Godmother, gently explained we don't SAY THAT.


So naturally Abby said, as dramatically as possible, "Oh my GOD!"


I wish I had a tape of it, it was so funny to hear a voice that tiny break a Commandment, so I completely understood Maddie's heroic yet unsuccessful effort to stifle the laughter building up inside her before grabbing Abby and half saying, half laughing, "NO Abby, you CAN'T SAY THAT!" By that point all the little ones were giggling hysterically.


It was just one of those quicksilver moments in our lives that pass by forever if someone doesn't write it down. So I did.