My oldest daughter had her adenoids and tonsils removed when she was six years old. A few days after the surgery she was healing nicely, but very attach to the silly blue stuffed rabbit that my sister had made her. She had taken the rabbit into surgery with her and when she came out the nurses had given the rabbit a bandage, too.
My four year old daughter was normally very shy, but she also had quite the attitude. While she didn’t understand the entire details, she knew that her sister wasn’t feeling good and that the rabbit was a source of comfort.
We were visiting my parents’ bustling house and there was a large group of us sitting around the table chatting. My oldest daughter, since she wasn’t feeling well yet was sitting quietly in a chair hugging her rabbit. Two of my teenage nephews grabbed her rabbit and they started tossing it back and forth, trying to tease her with it.
Promptly, my four year old marched up to them. Her little eyes were blazing fire, hand were on her hips and her little curls were bouncing angrily with every step. She pointed her little pudgy finger at them and said very clearly, “Give my sister’s rabbit back, damn it!”
My nephews were so stunned that they allowed her to snatch the rabbit from their hands. Everyone in the room broke into raucous laughter and I was choking back my own laughter. I never expected her to swear, much less use it so appropriately.
The little four year old marched back to her older sister, handed her the rabbit and consoled her, still glaring at my nephews. I had the very difficult task of not laughing, scolding her for swearing and praising her for protecting her sister.
