“Help me! My top hat underwear is falling off!” And Benjamin came prancing out from his room with a pair of Mickey Mouse underwear on his head. It seems that his head was bigger than his bum and his head-piece was sagging. After getting help readjusting his elevated briefs, he called out to his brother, “Michael. Now we can finish our tea party!” Having a spare pair of underwear on hand, or rather head, is always beneficial in the uncertain world of potty training.
While we in the adult world may not run around with our back-up plans on our heads, we never-the-less keep them close. A new school year has begun, my wife is again running off to do complicated things with numbers, and I am home with two imaginative beings who never seem to tire of adventure. But this year will be different. Or so I tell myself. This year I know much better what is in store for me….no longer the novice stay at home dad. This year we will start anew and discover so much more. This year I’m in so much trouble.
Earlier today Benjamin said to me, “Pops, let’s take a nap without a pillow.” So we toddled off to pretend sleep without the comfort of the pillow. Ahh what rebels we were. There is so much we can do within the confines of our comfort. Or so we tell ourselves. We play at doing a lot of things in our lives but never get beyond the front door. Stepping out the door to embrace the uncertainty, regardless of our best laid plans, is not easy. Certainly I have my back-up plans in mind as my wife walks out the door each morning, yet certainty that they will work is another story all together. Modeling for them positive ways of discovery while allowing them free choice, when it’s reasonable and doesn’t involve swinging a machete, will certainly help them to grow into inquisitive thinkers. As a teacher I learned the value behind capitalizing on a teachable moment. I also learned that sometimes it helps to create the environment for teachable moments to occur. This year’s planned opportunities of growth include trips to an orphanage, play/help at Heshima, Bible study/play groups, and reaching out to those in need around us. Stepping out in faith is a must. It’s also a necessary thing to model. Of course if you know me at all you realize that I will also join in on a tea party and drink my broccoli strawberry soup that the lads make me from their pretend kitchen. Who says that learning and growing must always be serious?
Furthermore whatever fancy name we give to our underwear, at the end of the day, it’s still just underwear. Where we choose to wear it is what makes us stand out.
nehrely there 