Enjoy the Bumps. That’s What My Boy Teaches Me
by Tessa Lemos del Pino
The other morning, we had glorious weather. The sun was out and there was a cool breeze. My 2-year-old son and I went for a stroll.
As we walked along the sidewalks of our quiet neighborhood, we took an un-familiar route and admired the old cottages, trees and lawns.
Chacho and I stopped to quietly watch a monarch butterfly flitter around his stroller. He wasn’t scared of it. There was no flinching as this unknown flying object approached. Instead, he was mesmerized by the colorful creature.
When the monarch flew away, Chacho waved goodbye. He was thankful for the gift. No sadness the moment had ended.
In the final stretch of our walk, he asked if he could push the stroller. So, I steered us to a car-free stretch and let him push. We came to a speed bump and, at first, he wasn’t able to get over the hump. He asked for help. I told him to raise the front wheels. When he got over the bump, he giggled and shouted: “I did it!”
A few yards uphill, he saw another speed bump. He raced to it, giddy with confidence. Once again, he faced his challenge, conquered it and was proud. He played like that for a while, racing and pushing and turning the stroller this way and that. He paused now and then to identify the sound of a passing train or bus. He was perfectly content.
At lunch time I asked the boy whether he wanted to ride or push his stroller. He opted to ride, but he wanted to go fast. So we raced downhill across the bumpy grass, which brought out even more giggles.
Chacho finds joy in the unexpected, joy in the bumps.
I love that attitude.
Thank you, Chacho, for the reminder.
Tessa Lemos Del Pino is a Chicana who grew up, and was educated, in the Pacific Northwest and New York City. She is a lawyer by training, executive administrator by profession, and organizer by habit. She and her beautiful family live in Nashville, TN. If she had a free hour, it would involve coffee and a good read.
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