To Be Nine Years Old Again
November 2, 2010
(my son is not the one who is carrying the ball, he is the one who comes running at full speed across the field to congratulate his team mate after the touchdown. look for him at the top right of the video)
Some days I wish I were still nine
When a job well done
Meant you got a star, or candy
Or a chest bump.
When you ran
Because you couldn’t not run
Not because you worried
About your weight.
When you still believed
In goodness and magic
Because nothing had really hurt you
Yet.
When you would wake up
In the morning and
The endless day loomed before you
A solitary question in your head
Will everyone at school
Think the tinfoil in your mouth
Covering your front teeth
Is a real grill?
*******
You should also go read my post over at Alphamom. 16 Things I Have Learned About Being a Mother. You would think that I would have learned more by now. But, uh, nope. That’s about it.
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I love this — every single word.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:40 pmI love that. It is true love of life just like a nine year old can love it. It is the definition of exuberance. Give him a big hug for me.
November 2nd, 2010 at 3:09 pmThank you so much for sharing these moments with us. Your family has brought yet another tear to my eyes.
November 2nd, 2010 at 4:14 pmLovely poem. My daughter turns eight in a few weeks and I was just thinking the same…to be eight years old again.
November 2nd, 2010 at 5:39 pmWAH!! This so made me cry and understand to let my boys glory in these days of little worry and all the wonders! <3 Awesome play — and what grand team mates!!
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:21 pmI love it! My oldest plays and I think that half of the time the boys are more excited to get an opportunity to chest bump, fist bump, or smack each other on the helmet. There’s a reason to hit someone!
Isn’t basketball season starting soon down there? We started tonight–not much of a break from football. However, I’ve only got one boy in it yet. The other isn’t old enough and my daughter thinks she might play next year. WHAT?!
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:51 pmHilarious poem.
November 3rd, 2010 at 8:11 amThank you for the post Chris! You just helped me realize that a sports decision I was about to make would have been better for me and not my son. Yes, he will run because he can’t not run!
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:02 amOh that is so true Chris; thank you. Love that video too.
I am left wondering what the hell happens that knocks life out of us, or rather when did it happen, because I certainly didn’t notice. I can feel my midlife crisis firmly brewing!
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:35 amYour Alphamom post is utterly brilliant! I hadn’t laughed all day until I read that.
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:48 amI’m thinking I could skip the chest bump, but that is probably because I am almost 8 months pregnant! All the rest spells no stress and fun. Been a long time since I have experienced either:)
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:19 pmChris, don’t know if you knew this yet or not — but your column about things you’ve learned as a mother made it to the NYTimes parenting blog (parenting.blogs.nytimes.com) Congrats!
Chris says: I didn’t know! Thank you for telling me
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 pmI love your poem. Amazing!
November 5th, 2010 at 1:13 amDon’t we all wish we could just play and have not a care in the world except what’s for dinner and a little annoying homework. Ahhh I wish they could know how good they got it!
November 5th, 2010 at 1:23 pmThis post killed me … because I wish my children could say that nothing had really hurt them yet by the age of 9. But, by then, their dad had died and their childhood innocence was gone for good.
November 5th, 2010 at 5:56 pmOh my gosh that totally was the cutest video. You can tell your son is from a big family as he was taught to be proud of others.
November 5th, 2010 at 6:00 pm