There is no more fleeting pleasure than thinking that, at the moment or for the moment, my children return my love. It doesn't stand to reason, because love in general is unrequited, but children are so capable of affection that it is easy to skip to the conclusion that they are precocious at love. Love is a kind of skill, and while such a skill can be acquired in childhood, love tends to develop spasmodically and to decline with age. This is why the song "I Remember Loving You" seems as good to me now as when I first heard it 30 years ago, and it will probably seem as good 30 years from now when all love -- except for the love of my immediate family -- is just a memory.