Pinky Promise

All had gathered around the bed for family prayer this morning. The girls were arguing over a doll Madeline had given Annalise and now Madeline wanted it back. They were going back and forth until Geoff interrupted with his authoritative let's-settle-this-once-and-for-all tone.

"Hold on, hold on..."

The girls were all ears.

Then he brought up his end-all-debates question with this superstar, "Did you Pinky Promise?"

He looked over at me with a secret smile, because the Iron-Clad-All-Binding Pinky Promise the girls hold so dear is something that amuses us. Sometimes they try to get me to pinky promise, but usually I refuse, saying that my word is good enough. I want them to trust what I say without me having to show some meaningless token of solemnity.

The girls take it seriously though. And they started debating whether there was, in fact, a Pinky Promise. Then I heard the phrase, "no take-backs" and I wondered how this particular popular phrase of childhood is passed down from one generation to another. I still remember, "I get my seat back" or "place back!" as my brothers or I would leave the room and a coveted corner of the couch.

I don't know if the doll's true ownership will ever be settled. But I do know this: if you Pinky Promise, you better hold up to your end of the deal. It is serious stuff.