Will who?

Every so often, I have this moment where I feel old. Usually, I have my childrens to thank for that. This morning’s car ride was one of those times.

We were riding along, jamming to some mix CD I had on, when a Will Smith song came on. To tell you the truth, I can’t even remember which one it was, because we started talking instead. I think it was Getting Jiggy With It, but it could have been Summertime. Or Switch. Really, who doesn’t smile when his songs come on? And so most of my running mixes and summer mixes (and dance mixes) are liberally peppered. The man makes me smile.

Gracie, too, apparently. “I like this song, Mom!” she happily informed me. And then, predictably, “Who is this?”

“This is Will Smith,” I answered, and then struggled to find an explanation of who he was that would have some context for her. “He’s…he had a whole bunch of songs that were popular when Mom was growing up. He was in Men in Black?” Yeah, my kids can’t watch that yet. Hmm…Gracie might be okay, but the point is that the reference wasn’t working. “And he was in Independence Day…and…um…The Fresh Prince of Bel Air?”

Yeah, still wasn’t working. Time to switch tactics. Then, brilliance!

“Ooh! His son Jaden was in Karate Kid! You know, the new one, not the old one,” I told them. They love that movie.

“REALLY?! I love that movie!” Gracie and Bee screeched. See?

“And his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, she does the voice for the hippo in the Madagascar movies. Gloria.”

“Oh, cool!” the girls yelled. We love us some Madagascar.

“OH! And his daughter, Willow? She was the one who sang the song I Whip My Hair Back and Forth.”

At this, Gracie kinda lost it. That was her favorite song whatever summer it was that it came out.

And so it was that we pulled up to the school’s drop-of lane, happily wished each other a good day, and my kids hopped out of the car, knowing who everyone in Will Smith’s family was – except Will Smith.

God, sometimes kids just don’t understand.

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Tags: Jada Pinket Smith, Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Willow Smith