Looking Up At The World

There’s a direct correlation between how quickly we get out of the house and the number of kid’s shoes to be tied.

Three kids x two feet = six shoes to tie unless we’re going for a ride and don’t care if the kids pair a flip flop with a Croc.

Last night we decided to take the kids for a walk. They were restless and we figured a walk would expend some of that energy. I noticed only Kai was walking around without his shoes tied. 

Normally, I’d sigh realizing I’m going to have to bend down in order to reach his feet. And that’s after I expend 800 calories catching that rascal. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed.

I watched Kai speed around the basement with his laces smacking against the wood floor. He ran in circles paying no attention to anything except his own enjoyment. He giggled and yelled and I thought to myself, “I’m glad we didn’t cut off those long, blond curly locks”.

I asked Kai to come to me so I could tie his shoes and was shocked when he ran to me and put his right shoe out for me to tie. I knelt down next to him.

He watched closely and swapped his right shoe for the left when it was time. He grabbed my shoulder to keep his balance, but I could still feel him wobble back and forth.

When I finished, I looked up at his face. This is what the world must look like to him. Everything is big and up when you’re no taller than a yardstick.

Kai giggled and then ran off to join his brother and sisters.

Maybe it only happened for a few seconds tonight, but I saw the world from a child’s perspective. And yet that’s probably too strong of statement. A more accurate statement would be that I recognized that my son’s perspective is not the same as mine, and I would do well to remember that when I get frustrated at the time it takes for us to get going.

Plus it won’t be long before my shoe tying skills will be as valuable as the pottery skills I learned in high school.