One Size Fits All By Micah Klassen “I love the trees, they’re so beautiful, I just want to hug them!” my eldest son exclaimed, his blue eyes sparkling with rapture beneath the red rim of his bicycle helmet. We were on our way home from the park and he was riding his little Strider bike a few paces behind me as I pushed his younger brother in the stroller. “You do?!” I laughed, turning for a moment to witness his delight. It was so contagious, I couldn’t help but buy into it too. We stood, looking up into the green boughs of a spreading roadside tree, orbs of sunlight expanding and refracting through the leaves, dappling the sidewalk with honeyed shadows. Summer was nearing its end and I was clinging to the final days of blue sky and warmth like a child clings to a favourite soft toy, afraid to let go. But my son’s observance reminded me that instead of thinking ahead to the end of the season, I could choose to pause and drink in the beauty that was present in this moment, slow my thoughts down and just BE. Sometimes, a three year old’s perspective is the perspective I most need. Moments like that one continue to imprint a deep sense of awe upon my heart – they remind me of the privilege it is to nurture a young and expanding mind; that there’s almost a mystery to it, a sense that when it comes to interactions and conversations with my son, I am both a teacher and student at the same time. I often pray he never loses this simple wholeheartedness, that ability to bask in the beauty around him without reserve. He’s happiest outdoors, particularly when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Observing ladybugs. Digging in the dirt with toy excavators. Riding his bike, letting the wind ripple through his wild hair. He is curious, observant and focused for a three year old. Mischievous. Cheeky. Deeply sincere, and of course, the instigator of some pretty challenging behaviour, at times. He’s conversational and not at all shy to engage with adults and kids alike when his interest is piqued. He loves figuring out how machines and tools work, and will spend hours constructing unique vehicles with the small pile of Legos he currently shares with his little brother. He’s always loved
8
