Ruper???

Where do imaginary friends go when you quit talking to them? Do they become the friend of someone else or since they are imaginary do they just stop existing, or did they ever exist? Am I going nuts or am I already there?

Blake has always had an imaginary groups of friends that would change from time to time but the one constant was Ruper. Ruper has been around since Blake could make and keep friends and remember names. Ruper was invited to parties, spent the night, played all sorts of sports with us, got in several fights with us and one time told us to do something we were not supposed to do. Ruper went to the barber shop, and to church and to the store and when his family moved to another state he lived with us for a while. Ruper was sad when we moved to Keller and would sneak in the car with Mimi and Paw and come for visits but would always go home after the weekend was over.

There was a time when I was worried about Blake having an imaginary friend. There were also times when I was embarrassed that he had this imaginary friend. Eventually I matured and embraced Ruper and invited him along with us to the store or to church.

My concern now is that Ruper is no longer around. He has been replaced by friends at church and school and high school kids that Blake considers friends. It is not that I am concerned for Ruper's well being, but the fact that my son is past the age of childish imaginary friends. Blake is growing and maturing and leaving behind some of his more childish characteristics and picking up new ones and watching it brings me joy and at the same time slaps me in the face and reminds me that my own fate will be similar to that of Ruper's. No, I don't think Blake will forget me, but there will definitely come a time when he will not need me as he has thus far.

The parts of parent hood that you don't hear about in "the how to be a parent class". Fun.