My son was chomping at the bit to go outside. We were about to go an adventure together, and I have no picture to prove it.
It had been a long week of quarantine due to the COVID-19 virus and we needed to get out. We had done homeschool, made a fort, sword fight, pillow fight, and any other active activity a 6-year-old boy would find fun.
Oh and it was raining, did I mention the rain? Rain had overwhelmed our yard and it had been raining for hours. The rain had let up and I mentioned going on an outside adventure. Once I mentioned it, he was relentless, so we got ourselves ready.
It was still raining, so complete with an umbrella, rain boots and raincoat, we set off.
We live 1/4 mile from a pond and a man-made dam that provides all the adventure that a 6-year-old could dream of. We set off and it was sprinkling. I remember thinking, I don’t have my phone but it might be very wet so that is the best decision.
If I don’t have my phone and can’t snap a picture, did this adventure really happen?
As we walked that 1/4 mile, it was glorious. We talked and talked, we even had times where my son looked at me and smiled. He had my undivided attention. We stopped at the pond and threw some rocks in, then decided to adventure all the way to creek. As we neared the part of the creek that we normally played at, we noticed how high the water had become. It was literally raining cats and dogs and the squeals that were coming from my son were contagious.
Jumping in puddles, dancing in the rain and not a picture to show for it. Did it really happen?
I admit, I went for my pocket a few times to grab where my phone normally is to snap a picture of him. This normally would have led to a, “Hey look here, Max, Smile! Hey Max look here now, MAX!” None of that happened. I just looked at him and smiled. He was having the time of his life.
We walked further to the creek, and with his boots safely protecting his feet, he went to the edge of the rushing water. He asked if the sand he stepped in was quicksand and asked if I would save him if he started to sink. He tiptoed into the water and started making a small dam to divert the water to rush a new direction. He was having an amazing adventure. I was too, just watching him. This went on for over an hour, a very wet hour, but it was a moment in time I will never forget, and there is no picture to document it.
If there is no picture, did it really happen?
Absolutely! Our rainy adventure taught me just how important it is to be present with my son. He and I share some amazing memories from our wet walk. As we walked back from the creek, he held my hand and thanked me. HE THANKED ME! I’m not so sure if it was for letting him play in the rain or for letting him explore the creek, or perhaps for putting my phone away for our adventure and being fully present.
Stay tuned, because there are many more undocumented times ahead; you won’t see a picture, just sweet memories.
