Being brave

Last night the boys were wild. 

Bouncing, rolling, tumbling through the house in thumps and bumps they alternated between loud laughs, wails of outrage  and thwack smacks of retaliation.  Fall allergy season with a family of asthmatics has caused them to be more cooped up than usual, with no real outlet for their energy - despite being allowed to ride a tricycle through the house. Getting school work accomplished had been almost unbearable for both parties involved.  So at 9:00 at night, well past bedtime, as they trolloped through the living room with a blanket as hump 1 and hump 2 of a camel, it was clear that they must be taken OUTSIDE AT ONCE.

Get jackets and shoes - we are going out

But it is dark

But there are mosquitoes

There are also wood floors, hard corners, and a used up amount of patience from sisters who had been used as trampolines, stepping stones, furniture, carnival rides and jungle gyms by little brothers trying to amuse themselves.

And so into the wet and the dark and the lawn we ventured

At first there was wonder - we were out at night - and amazement - look at the stars - and a slight bit of mischief - I can stomp your shadow.

But then the dark seemed closer, bigger, darker.

Monsters! 

Nonsense - let's walk

But it's dark

It is also light - see the street lights, and the stars, and the headlights from the cars?

This is our house, our yard.  Our school house and its yard, Daddy's cottage and the orchard.  We own all of this - it is all ours - where we live and play every day.  There is nothing to be afraid of in our own space

And then we stepped out of it.

We kept walking out of our own space, its safety and security, and all that is familiar, with one foot and than the other.  We turned down the next street, less lit, with barely discernible shapes looming half obscured in the darkness.

Monsters!

No, no monsters.

Home? !

Yes, but not yet, just a little further.

Hand in hand we walked, arms swinging.  In those quiet moments my boys learned to be just a bit braver.

They learned they could venture out beyond what they knew, and come back okay.  

They learned that what they thought was scary could also be beautiful.  

And in the end, there is no place like home.