My son turns 11 today.
This past weekend was filled with the upbeat chaos of soccer, sleepovers, burgers, and cake. For my part, I did what I was told; my wife runs the show in these matters. I can navigate adult interactions well enough, but drop me into a group of kids and it gets all Lord of the Flies. I search for cover.
Hopefully, I managed the illusion of being a grown-up. There’s a weird mix of confidence and doubt that comes with being a parent. I wonder what I’m doing, how I’m doing, and holy crap – did I just do that?
Don’t call parenthood a minefield. That’s a cliché. It’s more of a moat filled with fire-breathing crocodiles that shoot lasers out of their eyes.
Impatience
Being a kid is all about being impatient for the future. Which is ironic, because being a grown-up is often about longing for the missed opportunities of the past. Somewhere in the middle, we accidentally create our life.
In reflecting upon my magic of merely being, I offer this beautiful – and thought provoking – cartoon about the nature of life. It features a scientist, a visitor, and a teleporter.
As Adam continues down the twisty path of reckoning his life, I hope that these little bits of wonder help to keep exercising his mind.
