Today was one of those days I’ll probably remember for a long time to come.
More importantly, it may be some of the first memories my oldest child will carry into his life.
A day filled with haunted houses (way too spooky), pony rides (next up: camels), and even a smoke-belching, pumpkin eating dragon/dinosaur (bad ass) (editor’s note: Dad’s comment not the 4-year-old’s)
It was a day filled with sunshine and laughter.
I got to watch my oldest kid go through the confidence and learning cycle several times in the span of a few hours. Apprehension for something new, tentative first steps, followed by full commitment and maximum enjoyment.
We should be so lucky as to have our kids remind us of when our days were filled with wonder.
Because as we recapture that childlike wonder, we see how easy it really is to face the unknown and to conquer our fears.
And we see, just as they do, that good things are often on the other side of facing our fears.
I hope my little dude does remember this day forever. I hope he does remember how he was afraid to try new things, only to grow bigger than those fears. And I hope he remembers me whispering in his ear how proud I was of him.
Never forget that my little man.

