Saturday evening , the end of a rough day. A rough week.
Broken down vehicles that needed expensive repairs. Children fighting because they’re weary of each other after a long, hot summer. Me shouting at them to stop shouting. Petty arguments with my husband because we’re both just weary of it all.
I sat on a patio chair, the boys jumping on the trampoline. In the background the sun was in its last hour of descent. My face buried in my phone, I blindly scrolled through my Instagram feed trying to forget my week of failures by looking at everyone else’s photos of family fun.
Why are you looking at pictures of other people’s families when yours is right over there? Put your phone down. Now. Go jump on the trampoline with them. Go!
When I unzipped the safety net and climbed in my kids froze in shock. I’m not one of those fun moms. I’m just not. I don’t play. I watch. I listen. I talk. I read. But I don’t play. Both boys probably thought they were in trouble, and I’d climbed up there to drag them in the house.
Instead I started to bounce.
David whooped, “Yay! Mommy’s going to jump with us!” Wade giggled, “Mommy’s jumping!”
When was the last time I was on this thing? A year, two years, three years ago? Have I ever jumped with Wade?
We jumped and laughed. Both boys showed off their tumbling and flipping skills.
Is this the first time they saw me smile this week? When was the last time I laughed with them?
With each bounce I felt the weight of the week falling off my shoulders piece-by-piece. With every jump I was more free. I jumped higher, my load lighted as my burdens bounced away.
I looked at my boys. Really looked at them. They were grinning ear-to-ear. No one was arguing. Everyone was having a blast!
We played games, tumbled and jumped and laughed some more.
I love these boys so much! Joy filled my heart where there was heaviness just minutes before.
Why don’t we have more trampoline moments? We need more trampoline moments. I need more trampoline moments. I vow that from now on we will have more trampoline moments.
Finally, we collapsed into a pile in the middle of the trampoline. We snuggled in the coolness of the late-summer evening, watching the last rays of sunlight fade. I was breathless and worn out, tired — blissfully tired — but no longer weary.
Oh that’s awesome, thanks so much for sharing.
I’m just like you…. I sit, I watch, I read, and all that letting the kids have fun and do their thing. I need to get up and out there with them more often too.
Yay for you! I’m glad that it was a great time.
This is so so so good! It put a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. Yes, indeed to more trampoline moments!!!
How wonderful! My kids would feel the same way – and it brought back strong memories of jumping on a neighbor’s trampoline with them a few years ago.
Visiting from SITS.