Lydia came tumbling into our room yesterday morning and frantically shook her mother’s arm.  “Mom!” she yelled, “Mom, we have to go to the store!”

Andrea rolled over and looked at the little girl hovering next to the bed and blinked, “Why?”

Lydia grabbed her arm and pulled toward the door, “We forgot to buy something!” she said frantically between pulls.

“What did we forget to buy?”

The little girl rolled her eyes at the question.  “I can’t remember.  But that doesn’t matter.  We can go to the store and look at things and we will remember what we want when we see it.”

Andrea and I both groaned.

Some people are just born with the gift, touched delicately on the cheek and anointed with the shopping spirit and the hunter’s call.  Lydia is one of these hunters.  A lioness in the grass, forever crawling towards her Target, towards her mall, towards the rainbow shoes basking in the sun, and the seasonal candy in the cute little tins.  I can see the future, and I fear it as only a father can fear.