To date, I have spent time writing on major moments or lessons learned from said moments, however, I have decided to get the writing ball rolling and stay true to all that I am learning or teaching that I need something faster and easier to write and hopefully a shorter read. So, over the next month or so, I will endeavour to post several micro lessons a week...get ready for the fun and thanks for reading!!!
Today's Lesson: Things are not always seen in the way that you intended. Today I was informed that the Canadian Tire Logo is in fact a strawberry. Apart from the annual sale of jam making supplies or a poorly thought out car air freshner, I am pretty sure nothing at Canadian Tire resembles a strawberry, except obviously, the logo.
Go Canada Go!
Dad
A couple of days ago we all took the train downtown to the Royal Ontario Museum. Okay that's not entirely true. The purpose if the trip was initially to do some last minute shopping and see the holiday decor an store windows. An ice storm delayed the original adventure. The secondary trip was to take the train, a vehicle that James and Andrew share an obsession for. The museum was really fillet until the first train heads home at 4 o'clock.
The trip was an incredible one. It was an incredibly cold morning so we all had our heavy coats on but the frigid air did not impact out enthusiasm for traveling on the train. As the train pulled into the station the boys chattered away about the sounds and sights and through out the ride in they sat in awe.
Next step was a quick trip up the subway from Union Station to the ROM. Now this was not our first subway trip (in fact both James and Andrew do a pretty goo impression of the door closing chime) and so I was a little surprised at the sudden fear expressed by James as the train approached. We boarded without incident (which is a feat in itself lugging two boys in strollers with all the necessary accoutrement for a day in the city).
At the museum we toured around the floor and looked at the dinosaur statues. Again our ears were willed with chatter about the skeletal structures we stood in front of. Chatter that was a mixture of wonder and fear. We reassured them that the Dinosaurs would not come get them and were just bones. After a couple of hours touring the museum we were ready for lunch and a meander back to our train ride home. As we traipsed through the streets and down to the Eaton's Centre we dropped a tiny Santa figuring that James was holding (this is not incredibly relevant except that it is something that all parents experience when traveling with toddlers). At the Eaton's Centre we admired the tall reindeer sculptures that make up the holiday decor (there is something about 20 ft tall statues filled with multicoloured lights that is less threatening than 20 ft tall dinosaurs).
Once back on the platform for the train James and Andrew began recounting the day and discussing with great anticipation the arrival of our train. As it pulled into the station the same expression of fear came across James' face as in the subway earlier and as dad reassured him the train would stay on the tracks he held onto my bent knees and leaned hard against my chest. On the train we drifted back into our natural high from a day spent in the city and riding the train. Andrew, now an experienced rail-man directed the Conductor or Customer Service Represented as to when to close the doors while informing fellow passengers how much time was left until departure. What a day! What an adventure!
The lesson I learned today is that big things are scary, and that's okay. Even things that we look forward to with great anticipation can challenge our ability to cope and manage. I think of my own life and the number of major changes I have managed both professionally and personally and I know that fear was always a very present emotion.
Unlike as a child, that fear is more often than not centered on a self
derived notion of failure. I say self-derived because I have normally
been the one to make assumptions or set objectives related to my ability
to cope, adapt and succeed. All this is to say that as we grow older
we find different way to manage our fear, but we should
be mindful that it is still there. So my little men, remember that
fear is a very natural reaction when experiencing major change or big
things. Managing it will be different depending on the situation but
one piece that should remain pretty constant is that you shouldn't feel the need to hide it out of shame or concern about perception. Staying true to yourself an genuine in your actions means reconciling an being okay with all sides of your being an fear, will be a part of that being. As you grow the things you are scared of will change and
shift and so, you will find different ways to manage your fears.
Please remember that both your parents will always be there to listen
and support you, regardless of what it is that might seem scary.
Love dad.
PS - Dad is still really scared of heights or more appropriately falling from them.
