You get to choose who you marry?

Last night Connor and I were watching TV and there was a black man and a white woman dancing. Connor looks at me and says, "Those two can't be married" (not sure if he assumed that they were married because they were dancing or what).

"They're not married, they're only dancing, but why couldn't they be married?"

"Because their skin is different colors."

"That doesn't mean they can't be married, honey. You can marry anyone you want."

With this astonished look and big eyes,"You can choose who you marry?"

"Yeah, you get to choose who you marry. Someday when you get older, you'll get to marry someone. You marry someone who is your best friend, who you love, who you can laugh with, who you get along with, who you enjoy being with.....it can be anyone"

Silence.

And then this really shy look he gets as he gets closer to me and in my face. In a whisper, "Hilary is one of my best friends, mom." (Hilary is a girl in his class at preschool. She was in Connor's class last year also, and is one of the few that had to stay in preschool again because of their age. We hear about Hilary all of the time.)

"Maybe I'll marry Hilary someday!"