Childhood

On every Friday afternoon there is an air of excitement that builds starting from the moment the alarm clock rings in the morning until around 3:45 in the afternoon. At that moment (3:45) you will be able to tell from the expression on Joshua's face what the night will bring. . .You see, as a non-parent, I believed whole-heartedly that children should not be rewarded for their good work in school; It was expected. As a parent now, I have changed my ways of thinking. . .or maybe they, (the kids), have changed my way of thinking! We always try to have a special time with each of the kids, however, when Joshua began to make careless mistakes on his reading and spelling tests on Friday, we decided to have a special rewards system for him. This week his reward was to go with Mommy to see Charlotte's Web and go to Cold Stone for ice cream afterwards. Each reward is not as elaborate as this one. Anyway, as the movie was winding down and Charlotte went to the big web in the sky, Joshua moves over in my lap and begins to cry. My heart was melting. The credits begin to roll and the music was playing and he begins to cry once again. We talked about his feelings and what was going through his mind at that moment and shared our feelings together. Thinking about this now, I wonder how long the innocence of my child will last. His compassionate heart is a treasure beyond words. There are so many people who take that innocence away from their children. Kids are forced to grow up by pushing them into sports, music lessons, dance lessons, and so forth. Having kids involved in these activities is not bad if there is moderation. When are they allowed to be just a kid? What happened to the wonder of exploring outside and building mud pies with dirt. Riding bikes and playing in a fort until the light of day has subsided? My child may not be the roughest, the MVP, most talented dancer, next Olympic Gymnast, American Idol, or any other talent. My child is just that, a child. A little boy who has a great imagination and who has the compassion to feel and to love and to just be. He is our wonderful little boy that we love dearly.