Woke up this morning to an epic downpour happening outside our windows. Not the warm, sticky kind, but the refreshing, almost-feels-like-fall kind. The best.

Things are a-changin.’

Summer is closing out, and S is surprisingly not in protest. He had an exceptionally exciting one this year (especially in contrast to Covid Summer of 2020) – camps, VBS, his first real sleepover, making new buddies, visits with out-of town friends and family, play dates, and enough swimming to leave him with epic goggle tan – and he came out on the other side a changed boy, I think. Calmer, more pensive, less reactionary. Like, this whole being-okay-with-Epic Summer-ending thing? This is not his norm. He is definitely growing up, and I have all the mixed feels about it.

But sometimes, change means returning back to original things.

S: (getting into car at camp pick-up) Dad! Guess what?
J: What’s up?
S: One of the counselors I have, his name is Mike, and guess what? He has a PAW PATROL backpack!
J: That’s pretty cool. Did he like Paw Patrol when he was little?
S: Yeah, and he still does. And he’s in high school!

It was as if a little lightbulb went off in his head, which we didn’t realize until that evening, when J found him unusually quiet upstairs in his room. S had dug out his box of old wooden train tracks and his Thomas and Friends trains, which haven’t seen the light of day in years, and had them sprawled across his floor.

Mike the Counselor’s backpack was enough to free S from his shame of his love for his childhood treasures. And I love it so much.

S: I think I know what I’m going to spend my birthday money on.
Me: Oh yeah? What is it?
S: Paxton. He’s such a friendly little guy, and he’ll make a great addition to the crew.
Me: I think that’s a wonderful idea.

While I’m honestly hoping you won’t be toting a Thomas backpack as a high schooler, my thoughts are on the here-and-now, where your shoe size is almost as big as mine and I just want you to play with your wooden trains to your heart’s content. Thanks Bud, for the sweet little reminder that despite time and changed circumstances, it’s possible to return back to original things.