Our annual Chocolate-Communion Ice-Cream-Social Kid’s-Carnival celebration of Christmas in July has come and gone. As always, there are lessons to be learned about putting on an event, but my favorite lesson came from a wee boy, my co-conspirator of fun.
At the end of the day, I emptied the cooler of ice into the grass, a couple of passes to get the job done. With the first dump, Kaden came up and just stared down at the ice. I told him he could touch it with his feet.
So he did.
At first gingerly – just a toe – pulled back with a look of utter delight on his face. It’s cold! he exclaimed in sheer wonder.
Yes it is, said I. You can do it again if you want.
And he did.
First a toe. Then a foot. Back and forth he went in the simply joy of feeling the cold on the bottoms of his feet.
Then he got brave and jumped in with both feet.
And down he went.
Tears. Hugs. Arms out for Grandma. Comfort.
I think he’ll remember how fun it was to feel the cold and forget the fall. That’s what I hope, anyhow. Or maybe he’ll remember both and learn from both – how to laugh and how to take care.
Life’s like that, isn’t it?
We learn to navigate the ice and if we’re very lucky, every now and then, we even manage a dance. And fall or no fall, it is so worth it.
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