The other day, walking into preschool, the bean noticed a classmate and his dad behind us, and turned around to prance back and grab said classmate's hand, both of them half-skipping to the door. Watching the two of them, both boys, I sighed and said to the other parent, "Man, I wonder how long this lasts."

"Not long enough," he replied.

I keep thinking about that. Tonight, picking him up from preschool, one of his buddies, also a boy, asked him for a hug before he left. "Kisses, too!" Aidan exclaimed and they gave each other a resounding smack on the mouth. It was adorable, and bittersweet, at least for the one watching.

I figure he has one, maybe two more years before societal conventions worm their way into his still-forming psyche. It makes me sad, because it was beautiful to watch, a simple and heartfelt expression of affection for a friend that will, in a handful of years, garner him a slur if he actually deigns to continue the behavior.

Sometimes I wish I could stop time, just to hold onto these moments, and the sweet little boy who is growing up before my eyes.