A chip off the old(er) block

If someone asks me, what’s the best thing that has happened to you in life? I’m
afraid I can’t answer that, unless the question is rephrased to "two things". Foremost, is that I’m blessed to have found a wonderful better half. When I say "better half", I do mean that my wife is better than me, by a large margin. Secondly, I’m even more blessed to be a father to two great kids. I have watched them grow since the day their were born.

I can definitely see myself and my wife in our two boys. One is reserved and timid while the other is adventurous and outspoken. Now, which one is like the dad and which one is like the mom? Would you believe if I told you, that I was reserved and shy as a youngster? I’m not here to talk about myself but I was
labeled as a 悶葫蘆 as a child.

This past weekend we visited a water park in the adjacent state. I spent most of the time chasing my younger son. My 6 year old is a bundle of never-ending
energy. We must have circled the 35 acre park a few times over. In our
previous trip to a different water park, my younger son was a tad too short (1") to go on many rides or water slides. This time around, it was green lights all the way since he grew that extra 2” and met the requirements.

If you have chased a young child in a park for half a day then you would know how I felt. It was exhaustive but rewarding at the same time. Just seeing everyone
having fun made me forget my sore, aching feet. My older son didn’t want to
get on a few slides after trying them out once. Not my younger son. If you have seen the photos in my previous post, The Cliff, was the main thrill slide in the entire park. In a mere 3 seconds you drop 5 stories down the slide. Some older kids and adults wouldn’t try it at all.

On our second trip back to the tower, for a split second or two, I saw a familiar figure in my younger son. It wasn’t that of my wife or myself, it was actually my dad! My dad, as told by some of my aunts, was always full of energy as a child. He couldn’t and wouldn’t sit still for long. My dad was very outspoken and a
daredevil in his own rights. If my dad were still with us, I have no doubt, that he would be so proud to see the chip off the old(er) block!

taking a plunge ~ 20 feet down!

original post date: July 29, 2009