A Kid at Heart

Waking to a winter wonderland. It snowed! It snowed! There wasn't enough snow to keep Chuck working from home, so I was the only one there to enjoy it. I totally ignored the advice to eat all meals at the table, and ate my Ruby Red grapefruit standing at the kitchen sink so I could watch the birds flit to and fro in the backyard. Our old pine tree's branches were laden with heavy snow, and it made a perfect backdrop for bird-watching.

As the morning progressed, I pondered my options. I'd already done the dishes and laundry. I was torn between bundling up, driving to the park, and being the lone adult sledding down the hill, and staying inside where it's warm, sipping another cup of hot tea. Adult dilemmas. I never would have had to think about this 40 years ago. Was I losing my gumption?

When I texted Chuck "Kinda wanna go sledding down the hill at Langum," I knew that my inner child would be very disappointed if I didn't go. She was tapping her foot, with her hand on her hip, all but asking what was taking me so long. 

I figured I could have my cake and eat it, too, which is always a good thing in my book, or I could be a stick in the mud, which would be a bummer of a way to go. I could go sledding, and come home to a pot of tea afterward, or I could keep being boring, and sit on the couch, sipping my tea, ignoring my inner child .

Before long, I was digging in the closet for my hat and gloves, and struggling into my ski pants (AGAIN. I've blogged about my tight winter wear nearly every year. LOL.) I took the stickers off of my brand-new, royal blue sled, and threw it on the backseat of my Camry. I was going to LIVE, by golly. 

There were quite a few cars in the lot at Langum Park when I arrived just before 11:00. I took a quick photo of my sled and me to prove to my kids their mom's not THAT old, and then trudged past the young moms and dads with their little ones. 

As I stood at the top of the hill, I surveyed the landscape. The snow wasn't all that deep, and the snow that remained was beginning to expose patches of grass beneath it. Most of the sledders were pretty young, unless you counted their chaperoning parents. I needed to be careful not to knock down any of the littles who may end up in the path of my sleek sleigh. I didn't want to make any enemies. 

Well, it was now or never. I couldn't help but grin as I straddled the sled, and plopped down onto it. One little push with my gloves in the snow, and I was careening down the hill. 

Photo credit: Kevin Jarrett

Now when I was a kid, we had the fancy Flexible Flyers with metal runners, and a steering bar, of sorts, up front. The affordable sleds these days are made of cheap plastic, and have no way to steer them, at least not to my knowledge. I made an attempt to direct my little sled away from the small children in my path, and ended up taking a sharp right out of the sledding area, stifled a squeal as I hurtled across the designated walk-up area, and slid to a stop on the private property adjacent to the park. Wow. That was kind of fun. So, I did it again. 

Later that afternoon, my daughter asked me if sledding was everything dreamed it would be.

Well, while I was flying down the hill, I smiled pretty hard, so there's that. I felt like a kid; which is even better. I sure don't get a rosy glow from sitting on the couch. Yeah, it was everything I wanted it to be.

I will always be a kid at heart. 

Pink cheeks and a big old smile.
My inner child got her wish.