Instead of catching up on e-mail, playing Words with Friends or chatting with the other mothers while Lucas was in his recent My Gym class, I watched him for the entire hour.
I watched the confident way he carried himself and his friendly interaction with his classmates and teachers and I don’t think I have ever been prouder.
Not only did he tumble, jump, twirl and dance, he waited patiently for his turn to walk across the balance beam and somersault down the inclined mat.
I watched him cheer his classmates on with encouraging, “you can do it!” and “that was awesome!”.
I watched him look to his instructors for approval and smile brightly at me from across the room.
I watched him make space on the mat for others and beamed at his enthusiastic, “ta-da”, the gym’s mantra. Talk about heart melting! He was so proud of himself.
I watched him hold on with all his might on the high bar barely completing three chin lifts, but he did it!
I watched him stifle his laughter while climbing across a rope ladder and heard him squeal with pure delight on the mini zip line. The thumb’s up her gave me upon reaching the opposite wall was priceless.
There are moments in motherhood, rare and magical that make all the frustration, worry and hard work worthwhile, moments when you just know in your gut you’ve got a great kid and you’re doing okay as a parent and this was definitely one of them for me.
Lucas had fun, was polite and courteous and tried his very best. What more could a mother ask for?
