Bruised Knees (But Worth it?!!)

This morning was week two of Tim's swimming lessons. After class, I stopped at a nearby farm market to look at some flowers.......after all 'tis the season to get planting!

The owners are smart. In addition to flowers, they have mini-golf and a big wooden playground. This year, they've also added a jumping pillow. This huge, inflated pillow gave my son nearly an hour of jumping fun while mommy looked around. They also sell ice cream and kid friendly lunches etc. Super smart!

There's a small fee for the jumping pillow that to Tim's delight earned him a neon-colored paper bracelet to confirm that we paid. He jumped away and when shear tiredness set in, we headed home.....

Once in the driveway, I asked Tim to run down and check the mail. Seconds later I heard a scream like none other. As he was juggling the mail out of the box, his paper bracelet fell off and blew away. Doing the only thing he knew to do, he dropped the mail and took off running down the street after the paper bracelet.

Much to my dismay, he paid no attention to the road. His eyes were set on the bracelet. He ran faster than I've ever seen him run! The bracelet was round and it was windy! You can imagine the site of a 4 year old boy chasing after this neon PAPER bracelet (screaming!!!) as the wind carried it further and further from our house. Nothing I yelled even entered his cognition. He had one thing on his mind.

Unfortunately, the wind can be cruel. For a split second the bracelet came to rest and he DOVE for it. Arms out straight he leapt with all his might. He came crashing down on both knees and rolled onto his left shoulder. At that instant, the wind took the bracelet again. He looked back at me with tears in his eyes....not because he fell but because he needed to run again. He took to running like a super hero and moments later caught up to the bracelet.

I will never forget the smile that lit up his face when he turned around. He was dirty from head to toe, had blood running down both legs clear to his sneakers and an arm that epitomized road rash..........but he had his prized possession. We walked back to the house in silence.....could I really give him a lesson in looking both ways before he crossed the street? .....could I really say "buddy, it was only a paper bracelet!".....nope we walked back in the house in silence happy to have won the prize.

It was silent, just until he looked down and realized he was hurt and there was BLOOD! Then it was screaming and crying and carrying on until just the right combination of mommy's hugs and kisses, medicine, popsicles, knees propped on pillows with the fan blowing on him and his favorite TV show playing that he finally gave in and was silent again! He layed there milking the situation for all it was worth until daddy got home and then somehow he was very brave....

At bed time, he said to me: "Mom, I'm sure the bruises will go away before winter. I'm just glad I got my bracelet back."

Of course, I reflected on the lesson in all of this......

Sometimes, winning the prize will get you a few bumps along the way. In the end, the bruises fade and the prize becomes all you see.