We blow bubbles in the backyard, beside the wading pool full
of floating sticks, leaves, and green tomatoes plucked from the garden. I ask
the finches' and sparrows' pardon as my son scares them away in his joyful
popping of soapy rainbows. Geddy just hollers, "Birds! Come back
birds!" And they do, noticing he's not a serious threat, though he is
competition for eating the sunflower seeds from the birdfeeder.
We watch the flurry of wings then return to the bubbles; my
son wants a go so I hand him the wand. He presses it to his lips each time,
getting a shiny mouth of drippy solution and spattering me with spit and soap. Success
comes eventually as the bubbles string along on the wind to the sound of cheering.
Again. Again. Then my turn, as I'm directed to send the bubbles "up
high." The bottle suddenly spills on the cement pad as I lunge for my son
to keep him from toppling off the chair he has climbed. He's not distressed in
the slightest; now his feet can play in the bubbles too. He giggles as he
dances in the puddle and races around making footprints.
"Two minutes, Mommy, TWO minutes!" cries my
slippery boy when I announce it's time to go inside for supper. I give him more
time, knowing he's likely to come happily when I say two minutes are over. He
needs to have some control in his little world. Once inside, though, bubbles
are still on the brain as he's washed and sitting in his chair. He tries to
blow bubbles through the tines of his fork after he dips it into his water cup.
I retrieve the fork but Geddy still finds delight in making it "rain"
as he dumps water on the tray and splats puddles, popping imaginary bubbles.
_____
Naturally he has his whiny moments and his "Geddy
need" cries, but he still turns to giggling at the slightest bit of fun
distraction. That's his childhood superpower: making moments awesome.
I dream to blow a bubble big enough to surround my son and
strong enough to protect him from the not-so-awesomeness in life. Then I waffle
and burst that idea as it forms in my brain because if he can go out into the
world and see its filth maybe he will light it up a little and wash a corner
clean.
Creative Commons: Martin Thomas
