Four year time lapse

Last night when I sat down to write my grateful journal and to add to my 5 year expression of the day, I realised just how quickly life is changing and moving around me. That time is moving right along whether I am an active participant in it or not.

You see, it was four years ago that we came to Orlando with our children. Four years ago that my son rode his first major roller coasters with his papa. Four years ago when he was 11 years old and still a small guy with a little sister who was 7 and could not get on several of the rides. And she was not a happy camper. So we promised them we would bring them back in four years time when she was 11 and he was 15. I remember standing in front of the Manta ride at Sea World thinking four years is such a long time from now that they will probably forget anyway.

But here we are fours years gone by like a blink and we are back again. Making true on our promise to our children. This time with our 15 year old looking my husband in the eye. This time the two of them looking like two men riding the rides together. Like two mates. Not boy and man any more. But still father and son. And my heart brims with joy when I see the two of them together enjoying the rides. Challenging each other to ride them then coming off with fire in their eyes about what they had just accomplished together. Comparing what they thought about the rides. And I am so grateful for having a husband who is still a kid at heart. A husband who will go the extra mile with his children.

Then I thought back to our daughter the one who wanted so desperately to come back to the parks. And she has definitely evolved into the fish of the family. The one who prefers getting wet. Who loves water parks. Who loves water rides. And can’t seem to get enough of them. She has dragged her papa reluctantly on every ride she can where they are guaranteed to get super wet. Thank goodness it is 90 degrees here and the wetness helps to cool the heat of the day for them. Interestingly enough she is not into the extreme coaster rides she thought she was missing out on four years ago but she is not afraid to go on the extreme slides that take my breath away. And though my husband does not really enjoy the getting wet part, he goes along to make sure our girl is enjoying herself too. The two of them coming of the rides soaked to the skin but laughing and bonding in ways they could not otherwise.

It is interesting to see how our children's personalities have developed within that four year time span. Our son the extreme rider is the more cautious one in life while our daughter the less extreme rider is the one who will push boundaries in real life more so than our son. Both showing their alter egos in ways least expected in the parks but wonderfully so. Illustrating to me that personality is inherent in us and will be us regardless of the same home environment we may grow up in. Further letting me know there is no use trying to make our children into something they are not. They already are who they came to be. Growing more into who they chose to be. As parents we are only here to guide them and to help them explore their boundaries but not to impose any of our boundaries and beliefs on them because they already are.

And then some of you may be wondering why I am absent from these rides, well the truth is I am not a ride person. I don’t mind the simulated rides because I know I am not moving but the coasters and the slides don’t do it for me because I am terrified of heights so it is all on my husband for the rides. And I can't say enough just how grateful I am to have him to relieve me of that stress. I am just the happy, accommodating bag and stuff holder. Allowing them to be stuff free so they can enjoy the rides.

So here we are four years later, my husband and I pretty much the same. Not much has changed for either of us except maybe we have both grown a bit rounder and mature but now we are looking at young adults who could do the rides without us entirely if they so desired. Teaching me to enjoy every moment we have left with our children because in four years time, our son will be off to University taking further steps away from us and our daughter will be fifteen getting closer to moving away too or could be away already knowing her.

Time is marching on but for the moment I am enjoying it with my family in a fantasy land filled with things for all of us to do. Grateful to be reminded that time is marching on. That it stands still for no one and to enjoy it I have to be an active participant in it.

This trip has reminded me that there is no such thing as a time lapse, time has not stood still, but it moves quickly and without mercy so it is up to me, to us to live it as fully as I can because I feel like I blinked and here it is four years later. But in reality I did not just blink once, I have blinked a multitude of times in that four years and my growing children are showing that in this moment. So grateful... Namaste