innocence
The past week I’ve watched a little piece of innocence slip away. It makes my heart ache.
Zach is very good friends with a little boy that is almost a year older. His parents held him back so he is in the same grade as Zach. He has an older brother and this makes him very worldly. My son adores him.
We went to the waterpark the other day with him and another boy. Zach is just learning to swim and doesn’t have a lot of confidence yet. The “worldly” boys wanted to go down the huge water slide right away. They are nice kids and really tried to get Zach to go with them, but he was having none of it.
I watched for an hour as Zach watched the other boys go down the huge slides over and over again. It broke my heart- I know what it feels like to be scared to try something new. I know how it hurts to feel left out.
Finally Zach came over and asked if I would go down the slide with him. I was thrilled that he was going to give it a try.
As we climbed to the top of the slide, I felt his grip tighten on my hand. I was nervous too, but I kept my voice calm and reassuring.
When he was ready, we slid down together. His screams of terror soon turned to giggles of joy. He did it!! I was so proud of him.
After a few more times he was ready to go with his friends. They spent the rest of the afternoon going down the slide together.
Zach walked in that afternoon a scared little kid. He left a proud big boy. I was excited for him, but a little sad for me. I know it is cliche, but they really do grow up quickly.
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That was such a sweet post! Good for your son!
It goes way too quickly. Go to YouTube and listen to the song “Cinderella” by Stephen Curtis Chapman - it says it all. Touching post Jane
My heart is aching just reading this. But what I think is wonderful is that he needed you to help him make that leap. That says something.
Stumbled here from Mediocre blogs.
This was a sweet post. It does go too fast.
If you listen to Cinderella have tissues….especially knowing Stephen just lost his little girl to an accident.
Hey girl! I’m writing up Janestan for the traveling bloggers at All Mediocre tomorrow. Hope you have a lot of fun visitors!
So sweet. So sweet that he needed his mom, that you helped him through it and that he had a great time. They do grow up so fast (except for certain really slow periods, of course!).
I travelled over all the way from AllMediocre. Glad I did!
Oh, that was so sweet! The pride is there but you feel him slipping away from being Mommy’s Boy.
Yep, here via AM.
So sweet! Except it’s entirely too early and I’m entirely too hormonal to read stories like that right now.
I’m dreading those days. :0(
Wow, that is great that you watch him evolve into a bit more of the grownup version of himself. I love being “right there” for those moments.
Great blog…I will be back. Visiting from AM!
Ugh, for whatever reason I decided to throw a couple http’s in the website spot and it was a broken link…sorry I am a loser…LOL!
Hello AllMediocre buddy, so glad to meet you.
I dread the lose of those baby times (my daughter is 2) as she adds new accomplishments everyday. We’re so eager and excited to get them going on their own - never realizing how wonderful, yet heartbreaking it will be.
I remember those days… and now I have the much too “worldly” second and third child. Did you take my son to the water park, I didn’t miss him if he was gone?!?
Pam
Another visitor from planet AllMediocre!
Sweet, sweet post. And like Pam, I have a “worldly” second child. There are 5yrs difference between my two gremlins so the 3 yo acts like a teenager cause that’s what big sister (8yrs old) is doing!
Nice meeting ya! See you again soon… in the blogs!
Ciao
I am visiting from All Mediocre too. This is such a sweet story. My son is only one so I know these types of stories are in my future. They grow so fast.
You are experiencing one of the real “tugs” of being a parent. Keep the child or let him slowly grow and go. Enjoy and savor each “pull” away! Your stories are great Jane - keep on blogging away!
Great story!! It was special that you could help him over the gap. You have a wonderful relationship with your son. Love your blogs