CAN I PLAY, TOO?
My grandson came over yesterday, a nice visit in the midst of a very busy work schedule for all of us. After a hearty dinner, we all sat on lawn chairs facing the lake side and just sat and listened to the waves, our food digesting and enjoying the quiet.
Of course, this is not very interesting to a 9 year old boy, so he asked if he could run down the road to the neighbors who have a son his age.
“Certainly” came the reply from sleepy parents, for it was a well deserved break in the schedule from tending to a new born. The baby was asleep, tucked safely in a car seat inside the big room; we could hear him if he woke, freeing us all for just a few moments.
As the older brother ran down towards the neighbors, taking the lake side so we could watch his progress, I smiled as I remembered the first time he arrived here. Sometimes adjusting to a step dad is hard; learning the ways of new step grandparents is kind of scary. What if they don't like me can fill a young boy with terror.
“What would you like to do now?” I had asked one sunny Saturday morning. He had slept over the night before, and was just about done helping with chores around the small house. He would be picked up that evening and still needed to be occupied for the rest of the day.
“Are there any kids around here?” he asked seriously.
“Yes, there are. In fact, there’s another boy close to your age that lives a few doors down.”
“Cool!” he said and quickly jumped off the couch. We had been in the big room folding laundry and had just squared the last kitchen towel.
“Where are you going?” I called after him. “You don’t even know where he lives!”
“I’ll find him” he yelled over his shoulder, and then as an afterthought added “I’ll ask him if I can play too, if I see him doing something.”
Sure enough, I watched him as he ran to the front door of my neighbor’s house and asked the boy sitting on the ground playing marbles if “….he could play too…..”
Watching the neighbor boy’s head nod up and down without hesitation, my grandson sat on the ground beside him and watched as the marbles bounced off one another. His acceptance without hesitation of another person in his life was profound, yet so easy.
As adults we often forget simple gestures of making friends and offering our hand to others. So many are alone and afraid, all because they lack the courage to ask “can I play too?”
May you always keep close to your heart the childlike acceptance of not only allowing yourself to be a friend, but extending the hand of friendship to others. It is a wonderful gift you can give to yourself.
Comments
Good morning, Eileen,
I enjoyed reading your observations and reflections on your grandson and his new friend. One of the "little joys" of our wedding was introducing Kevin's granddaughter, Hailey(5), to my neices Johanna (4) and Mahala(5), all three flower girls who met for the first time the morning of the wedding. The shyness lasted about 5.7 seconds. We were a little concerned because Mahala has a form of autism so we asked Hailey and Johanna to make sure Mahala wasn't scared of all the people that she got all the way down the aisle ok. I was held in seclusion of course, but Kevin told me it was quite a sight - all three little girls wearing matching handmade ivory dresses, carrying pomanders of copper brown hydrangea, ivory roses and bronze ribbons, walking hand-in-hand down the aisle - with a beaming auburn haired Mahala in the lead. God is good.
We and the "ducks" missed you and Steve of course, but hope we can get together soon - even if it's at a booksigning. Congrats on the new tome and all the best from the new Mr. and Mrs. "Kevin the Bartender" Thompson.
Posted by: Renee Thompson | October 10, 2007 07:34 AM
Thanks, Renee! I am so sorry we couldn't attend - and I do look forward to getting together with both of you soon!
Posted by: Eileen | October 10, 2007 08:47 PM