New Birthday Traditions

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always dreamt of flying. According to my big sister, I’ve been jumping off things since I was a baby. Even after being told flying was against the rules of physics, I still tried (I have all the scars and indentations in my bones to prove it). As a kid, I jumped high in bounce houses and trampolines hoping to catch air time (i.e. long periods of time in the air). As I got older, I discovered tumbling and gymnastics which was the closest thing to flying I have done for years – until now. This was a dream come true and it definitely did not disappoint!

When I walked into the building, panic briefly covered me from head to toe. For a split second, I was ready to abandon the whole thing. The more I thought about all the things that could go wrong, the stronger the panic was. It was at that moment that I looked over at my son. He was so fascinated by all the flyers in action that my fear slowly dissipated. Now, I’m doing this for him. The best way I can teach my son to conquer fears is by showing him how.

So, with a smile plastered across my face to disguise the nervousness seeping through my pores, I entered the chamber fully dressed and ready. Flashing lights signaled the guy ahead of me was finished and it was now my turn. I tell myself to focus on my breathing as I stepped forward. Without giving myself time to think about what I was doing, I leaped forward with my eyes wide open. I couldn’t believe it – I was flying! I knew the instructor was guiding me, but I could barely feel him. As cold wind blew my face, I was in pure bliss. The positioning of my arms moved me up, down, or sideways so I was [partially] in control of where I went. A brief squeeze from my instructor signaled that we were heading up high. I moved my arms and we soared 25 feet into the air. Oh, my gah! I’m flying, I’m flying! Immersed in the feeling of being on cloud nine and when I looked down, Jellybean was watching me.

As a mom, I celebrate every little moment with my Jellybean. Whether it is first steps, first merry-go-round, first sports events, etc., I go out of my way to celebrate all of his little moments. I am not a helicopter mom by far, but he will only have these moments once. I try to be there for him as much as possible and show him that mommy is proud of him. It is my job to make sure that he has the confidence that I did not have growing up. It is my job to make sure he has the childhood that I dreamed of (to a certain extent – my imagination was wild, y’all). But, it's my job to make sure he has a real childhood that he won't have to heal from or forget.

I will to continue to celebrate his little [and big] moments, so he experiences his mommy’s love. Some people think that I’m spoiling him or that obviously that these little moments are not a big deal. I’ve said it before and I will say it again; you are responsible for your happiness. Celebrating his little moments are not just for him, they are mainly for me. That being said, I will continue to do what makes me happy.

It is hard to describe the freedom this flight gave me. The closest way to explain it is liberation. My fantasy of how flying would be was real, and my dream came to life. It was the shortest two minutes ever, and I was sad when the lights started to flash. As I exited, my classmates high-fived me through the chamber. All I could think about was “why did I wait so long to do this?” This experience was nothing like the adrenaline rush of a roller-coaster. But, I can see how people can get addicted to the feeling. Before we left, the instructor showed us a bunch of tricks you can do in the tunnel flying solo. I’m sure this inspires people to sign up for more advanced classes, but I’m good for now. This was truly an unforgettable experience and the best birthday gift ever 🎁