Jumping

It’s not often I can truly surprise my son. His active imagination has given him experiences the greatest traveler can only begin to grasp. Fighting pirates, racing as The Amazing Wood Car (his alter ego), and caring for his pink and brown pet owl are just a few of his daily adventures. But tonight, I topped them all.

We were reading a rather dull picture book about airplanes before bed when the picture of people jumping from airplanes caught his attention. Impulsively, I said, “I’ve done that!”

Jack’s face was full of surprise and excitement, “You did that?! But I’d miss you!”

“Ha! We have a video, do you want to watch?”

“Yes!”

With great excitement, we raced each other downstairs where I dug out the VHS tape and stuck it in the player. When my face (and my husbands) finally popped on the screen, Jack’s eyes lit up. The nervous giggles that came from me during the pre-jump interview ten years ago were echoed by the four year old next to me on our couch. Through his eyes, I experienced that free fall as if for the first time.

“Woah!”

The parachute opening in a rainbow of colors triggered another burst of giggles and awe as we soared to the ground.

“When I’m as big as you I’m going to do that!”

It took awhile to calm him down for bed, but knowing I got to feed his imagination made it all worth it. I can’t wait to watch him play after tonight.