Going Up That Hill
While we were at the lake, one of the days we decided to spend near the water. It was a long trek out there and we carried a lot of stuff with us. There was a shuttle service that people could take to get around and with the things we had to carry plus the kids, we opted to take the shuttle as close to the water as possible.
When we could see the water, there were two options - either wait for another shuttle or walk down the giant hill. I wanted to get some exercise and also wanted to see if my kids were going to come with. Surprisingly, both my 5 year old daughter and 4 year old son decided to walk with me while I walked with the baby in the stroller. My wife came along too and we made the long hike downwards toward the water. Going downhill was fine for the most part and everyone eventually had a blast. In the middle, I had to push the baby around in the stroller so he could get some sleep, so I opted to go up and down that giant hill twice to get some real exercise while keeping the stroller moving. I become sort of a moving landmark for the shuttles as they whisked passengers up and down that giant hill.
When it was time to leave, I wanted my kids to go up the hill with me. It was a challenge and even though I know they could do it physically, this was a long day near the water and mentally, they probably were exhausted. My 5 year old daughter opted to take the shuttle with her cousins, aunt, and uncle. My 4 year old son decided to rough it up the giant hill with me, my wife, and the baby. We got a huge head start on everyone by jogging ahead while the others waited for the shuttle. I wanted to best the shuttle up the hill. My son was so motivated that he was trucking along. About halfway up the hill, he started to really slow down and decided to walk with my wife. I knew he was really tired, but he kept pushing up that giant hill.
After a while, my son finally made it up the hill and even though he was tired, I could tell he was proud of himself for conquering the hill. He loves running around and burning off his energy, so this was one way he could challenge himself (and get himself tired enough to sleep in a room full of cousins). I was so proud of him. I’m also proud that my 5 year old daughter understood her limits and decided to take the efficient way up the hill in the shuttle. She was smiling so big as the shuttle drove past us and beat us up the hill. Next time I know I just need to be a bit faster and maybe I’ll challenge my kids to a race if we ever go back there again. It’s always good to push your limits within reason and I think these small moments build the grit you need in life to keep going.
