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Late summer lessons come in small doses
(by Christine Thome - August 27, 2008)
Late summer lessons come in small doses
It was one of those hazy, hot days of August before school began. My kids had had enough of the swimming pool, but I still relished one or two more days in the sun, so I forced them to go. I know -- I'm a terrible mother.
Not long after we arrived, their whines of, "I'm bored!" or, "None of my friends are here!" or, "Can I get something to eat?" began to send my blood pressure racing. I was about to lose it until my friend Maggie made the perfect analogy.
"In August, there is no difference between kids and the annoying bees," she said. "Both know that summer is dying, and they're not quite sure what to do with themselves. So they buzz around us for no particular reason other than to be complete pests."
I can always count on Maggie for a reality check, but, later in the afternoon, I found a 3-year-old boy named Alex who also put life into perspective.
In an effort to escape my kids -- and the bees -- I found a lounge chair near the deep end of the pool. As I opened my book and began to read, I was distracted by this very small boy jumping off the diving board over and over again. Each jump was a little different from the last, and it was obvious he was trying new things.
After a while, his father pulled him out, wrapped him in a towel and sat him in the chair next to me.
"What do you want for lunch, Alex?" he asked.
"A hot dog!" he replied enthusiastically.
There's nothing better than a hot dog in the summer, and I hadn't had a good hot dog in a long time. Suddenly, I thought a hot dog sounded real good too.
I didn't know Alex or his father, but I knew his grandparents, so I thought it would be OK to strike up a conversation.
"I was watching you jump off the board," I said. "You are really good."
"Thank you," Alex replied with a smile. "I like jumping off the board."
"How old are you?"
"Three" he replied.
"That's very impressive for a 3-year-old," I said, thinking back to my four kids who, at age 3, looked like the Michelin Man in their multiple swim floaties. They could have bobbed from here to England without ever going under the water, yet this 3-year-old had nothing on but his red swim trunks.
"I've been working hard for a long time," he said. "I still have to practice some of my jumps."
A long time? At 3, he must have been working on these jumps in utero.
At that point, he stood up to adjust his towel, yet his small arms didn't allow him to wrap it around his body as well as his father had.
"Can I help you with that towel?" I asked.
"Yes, please," he said. And I did.
"Thank you," he said with another adorable smile.
I went back to my book while Alex ate his hot dog and returned to jumping off the board over and over again.
As I thought back to our simple conversation, I realized there were some good lessons to be learned from Alex, especially this time of the year when children are starting school with the unique opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start the new academic year fresh.
-- No matter what, have fun.
-- Always be willing to try new things.
-- Nobody is good at everything, but everyone is good at something.
-- If someone compliments you, accept the compliment and say thank you.
-- Be proud of your strengths and keep working to improve your weaknesses.
-- If someone offers help, accept it graciously.
-- Smile.
-- And finally, sometimes nothing tastes better than a really good hot dog.
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