Everything about this day was my relationship with my son in a nutshell.
A trip to a water park that has become a day-long series of traditions.
Starts with a long drive, radio barely on, talking about everything and nothing.
1/
A trip to a water park that has become a day-long series of traditions.
Starts with a long drive, radio barely on, talking about everything and nothing.
1/
Then bfast at the same place as always because they serve it in a skillet.
Then, the water park hitting every slide in the place until our legs ache and feet hurt...
...and then we do one more ride anyway. It’s always on a double-tube.
We always do the last one together.
2/
Then, the water park hitting every slide in the place until our legs ache and feet hurt...
...and then we do one more ride anyway. It’s always on a double-tube.
We always do the last one together.
2/
By the time we lumber back to the car, the crowd has thinned and the sun is starting to go down; we’re both beat and there’s a drive ahead.
But one of us will suggest maybe stopping by the lake on the way home for ice cream.
3/
But one of us will suggest maybe stopping by the lake on the way home for ice cream.
3/
It’s not on the way home. We both know that. It’s 45 minutes out of the way. But it’s our place. It’s near where he caught his first rainbow trout - and I did too for that matter.
4/
4/
It’s the place where I once told him how much I love peach ice cream from old-fashioned places because it’s a taste of summer.
He asked for peach the next year and that’s we’ve gotten every time since.
5/
He asked for peach the next year and that’s we’ve gotten every time since.
5/
The little detour to get there winds along a river.
We drive it with the windows down as the day turns to sunset and just drink in how every living thing smells like August and everything after.
6/
We drive it with the windows down as the day turns to sunset and just drink in how every living thing smells like August and everything after.
6/
Somewhere along the way I tell him how lucky I am to have a son who I not only love but truly like as a person and love being with...
And then we cross a rickety bridge and get to the ice cream place and eat some before getting back in the car.
7/
And then we cross a rickety bridge and get to the ice cream place and eat some before getting back in the car.
7/
By then it’s dark and the world has gone quiet.
I reach for the radio dial as he rolls his eyes in fake annoyance knowing what’s coming.
8/
I reach for the radio dial as he rolls his eyes in fake annoyance knowing what’s coming.
8/
The rest of the way home I roll through a playlist of sentimental dad songs.
He pretends to hate each and every one over the last bites of his ice cream... but out of the corner my eye, I’ll catch him singing along.
9/
He pretends to hate each and every one over the last bites of his ice cream... but out of the corner my eye, I’ll catch him singing along.
9/
Then, with ice cream gone, he leans his head on the window and drifts off and I make the rest of the drive with the radio so low only I can hear it.
And then, just like every year, I pull into the driveway and turn off the engine and let the song play out while he sleeps.
10/
And then, just like every year, I pull into the driveway and turn off the engine and let the song play out while he sleeps.
10/
Today, it was Sleep Station’s “A Final Prayer - Part II”.
The perfect closing lines for this year’s installment of a day I just treasure.
I drink in every single thing about our little traditions.
They’re life to me. They’re just everything.
11/11
The perfect closing lines for this year’s installment of a day I just treasure.
I drink in every single thing about our little traditions.
They’re life to me. They’re just everything.
11/11
