There are traditions that come & go with each season, each year, each family.
This year Easter came with showers and the annual tradition of the Easter egg hunt was moved indoors.
Some things don’t go exactly as planned by adults. As quickly as my grandson opened an egg, he took decisive action. Faster than we could say “Look, there’s another egg!” the foil came off a piece of chocolate and in the mouth it went. He was in chocolate egg heaven! How foolish of the adults to hope he would leave room for dinner!
He was living in the moment.
In hindsight, isn’t that exactly what we did as kids? As adults today, why would we expect anything different from a child? Carpe diem! Sieze the moment! And that’s exactly what he did. Hidden coins in eggs were completely abandoned.The mere ‘clink’ while picking up the egg let him know there was only money in it. ‘You can’t eat money’ he must have thought to himself. He’s smart as a whip he is! A man after my own heart!
(I like to think I contributed some of that DNA!)
He was living in the moment.
Then, as we adults continued our adult behavior of waiting to be amused by a three year old, his behavior changed. With all but the money eggs opened, he ravaged the bowls of jellybeans & malted milk eggs on the buffet & refilled the opened eggs & hid them about the house. How creative! (More of my DNA I hope!?) He then proceeded to point to each one with surprise, open them & immediately put the confections in his mouth. He was playing adult! (Mimicry is the highest form of flattery!)
He was living in the moment.
The meal came & went. Attention then turned to the non-edible Easter toys left in the basket: a bunny, a book, a car, a jar of bubbles. This was no ordinary jar of bubbles, but the latest & greatest jar to be marketed for this 2011 Easter, super-duper giant bubble wand. Yes, nothing but the newest novelty will do.
The adults then posed a question. Can you blow bubbles in the rain? Well, much debating went on. Then we needed to decide on the appropriate outerwear to wear. What to wear when blowing bubbles in the rain? Dr. Seuss could have written several new books on us alone….not to mention the possible TV shows if Alan Funt was nearby! Meanwhile, it took all of us to suppress the urges of a three year old while he pried at the doorknob.
We all ventured out onto the porch, rocket-scientists & child. At what angle do you get the most & appropriate amount of liquid on the wand while not spilling it on your shoes? Eventually we passed it to my grandson. As the porch became saturated with suds, he managed to produce some of the biggest bubbles we have ever seen, squealing with delight.
He was living in the moment.
Noting the sheer joy, we all started to beg for a turn. It took a three year old to teach us that you can blow bubbles in the rain. As we neared the bottom of the soapy jar we heaved a collective communal breath onto the wand for the last bubble in the rain. This bubble, this perfect bubble rose up into the air as if the raindrops were actually coaxing it up. As it rose higher & higher, it wafted over the hedges, left the yard & centered itself above the street. Torrents of rain were forming a deluge on the street yet this bubble continued upwards. It suddenly turned left following the deluge & remained perfectly centered on the street. We watched in silent amazement, all with gaping mouths. It floated the length of the street. (I haven’t seen an awestruck moment like this since my overlooking the Grand Canyon.) We never did see the bubble land. For all we know it could still be out there, free as the breeze that first carried it away.
We were living in the moment.
It was a moment so perfect; one that will never be replicated: family, traditions, flowers, food, surprise, laughter, more food, young, old, new traditions, amazement & wonder.
Life as a child living in the moment… the wonder of it all!
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