Friday's Writing Prompt: My son's heroes

Mama's Losing It: 1.) Write about a time you or someone you know saved the day!

he·ro/ˈhi(ə)rō/Noun
1. A person, typically a man, who is admired for courage or noble qualities.

When you're young, teachers will sometimes ask you to write about your hero.

For some, that hero might be a professional athlete. For others, they might write about police and fire men and women. Some might even write about all those men and women overseas that are putting their lives on the line to maintain our freedom.

I've met firemen and women, police men and women- I even have people near and dear to me that are off at war right now.

And, while I question idolizing athletes and calling THEM heroes, I think its safe to say that a hero can be found almost anywhere...

...I just never thought that I would be considered a hero.

When my oldest son, Cameron, was a toddler, we went to visit my parents after church one Sunday. I remember that my mom hadn't been home, but my dad was there. I was actually really happy about that because my husband and I had just gotten a new computer and I wanted to tell my dad -a computer know-it-all, in my eyes- all about it.

When we got in the front door, I set Camo on the living room floor and went to talk with my dad who was near the kitchen. I couldn't see Camo (there was a couch in my view), but considering that we were in front of the door that led out to the back yard, I wasn't worried. I laughed to myself that the most he would be able to do is destroy their TV equipment.

I thought.

I was just responding to my dad's question about RAM when we couldn't hear Camo anymore. We weren't worried- like I said, we were in front of the only accessible door to the back yard- but we just wanted to make sure he wasn't destroying a bit more than TV equipment.

When we couldn't find him in any of the bedrooms, we got a little worried, but we weren't panicking. Like I said, we were in front of the only accessible door to the back yard, and my parents room had been closed to keep him out.

After rechecking the rooms, though, my dad asked me if I thought he could have gone in the back yard. How, though? He rushed out to the backyard while I rechecked their room which had a door to the backyard.

Nope- the slider and the curtain covering it had been closed. Wouldn't he have left the door open if he had gone out that way?

That's when I heard my dad scream my name.

He was pulling Camo out of their fishpond.

Ya know, when you take CPR courses, you never ACTUALLY think you'll have to use them. Most sane people only take them 'just in case'. That was the day I found out that CPR really does save lives.

While my dad called 9-1-1, I continued to try and get my baby to breathe. He finally did right before the paramedics showed up.

So, that day, there were actually quite a few heroes and angels in the mix- my dad and I were just a couple.

Some people might chastise me by saying,"Well, you and your dad wouldn't have had to save your son if you had kept a better eye on him." Maybe that's true.

And, maybe we should have expected a 1 1/2 year old to be able to open a closed door EVEN THOUGH he was always too lazy to even look under a blanket for his shoes.

And, maybe we -I- shouldn't have assumed he hadn't gone into a room simply because the door had been closed- ALL the doors had been closed- leading out to the back yard, EVEN THOUGH he had never closed a door a day in his life.

And, maybe my parents were stupid and foolish to have a pond in their back yard knowing full well that they had a grandson EVEN THOUGH hundreds and thousands of adults buy homes SPECIFICALLY looking for homes with pools EVEN THOUGH kids have DIED in pool related accidents over the years and I don't see anyone saying that those people are fool hardy.

(And, FYI- even if your pond/pool is above ground, did you know its still a drowning hazard? Its true! Trust me- if a 1 1/2 year old has the piece of mind to cover his tracks and close all the doors behind him, then they can DEFINITELY climb steps/ stairs/what not to get into it. Just a thought.)

So, what could most definitely have turned out to be a tragedy, wasn't, because -with a few angels watching out for us- my dad and I became my son's heroes that day.

Too bad he doesn't treat me as such anymore, but whatev.

Hey! Its a circus!

They fly through the air with the greatest of ease- that daring young man on the flying trapeze.

Some people might think that old song is about a circus performer; those of us that have boys, know better.

Today I spent a good portion of my day running all over the house trying to keep my boys from killing themselves through a series of death defying feats and wrestling matches. Sure, head trauma SOUNDS like a great time, but its all well and fine until you get the hospital bill.

For the most part, I've grown accustomed to the many daring actions my sons have performed over the years. When I hear crying now, my response is usually, “Who did what?”, and I will rarely make my way to the scene of the crime, insisting that -unless legs have been broken or they have a sucking chest wound- they need to come to me because I wasn't the one who decided to jump off the top bunk; jump off the dresser; get their hand stuck in the crib bars; etc. I've gotten wiser in my old age- unless I'm looking to increase my activity level, running to them for every cry will do nothing except cause me to lose patience and breath.

Please don't take anything I say the wrong way; I actually LOVE having boys. Do you know how many parents take a CPR certification class and NEVER get the chance to perfect their skills? And I got to not only perform CPR, but the Heimlich as well- all in one week in my first 2 years as a mom! I have learned that most head wounds- though messy- are not always serious; I've also learned the different types of bugs that are okay to eat (FYI- pill bugs are perfectly safe and great “pre-munching” entertainment!).

Maybe I'm sick and twisted (very likely), but I find it amusing to watch the faces of new moms as they stare intently at their toddler boys at the park. They don't want to be “helicopter moms”, hovering closely and suffocating their sons' experiences, but fear keeps them from sitting down and relaxing. So, they stand there, rocking back and forth, waiting, ready to sprint like Superman the moment Jr. starts to take a tumble. The problem is, I learned long ago that you'll never reach them in time, and the fear on your face will cause them to scream bloody murder even if they aren't hurt. The best approach, I've found, is the “ignorance is bliss” approach. Its a kind of “If a child falls on the play ground, but no mommy is around to hear him scream, does he make a sound?” approach. Its all very Zen.

After having boys, I also don't worry about germs as much anymore. Sure, there are some instances where a good hand-washing is in order; and I will NEVER allow the 5 second rule at a truck stop; but I've seen Jacob crawl under chairs at a doctor's office and come out chewing on something- after that, you kind of stop worrying about keeping them “germ free”. When your child says, “Look what I found, Mom!” as they're leaving a park restroom -don't ask- the least of your worries should be shopping cart handles.