When Christopher Robin Milne was six, his father, the great A.A. Milne, wrote a whole book called Now We are Six about that year. It is not as well known as the Winnie the Pooh books but it struck me that Milne was so moved by that year of his son's life that he penned a whole book. I must admit that I haven't read it but I imagine that it touts the wonderful year his son (and possibly his stuffed animals) had. Perhaps it is a further reflection on the adventures of a boy and his bear. I really like that idea.
On September 23, my own Bear had another milestone--we left seven behind as he became eight. It is one step closer to adulthood and that scares me to death. Eight is two years away from ten and eight years away from when he can drive. The sheer idea of that may give me a coronary. My Bear is growing up and I can't stop it! So, rather than try, I will reflect on year seven as it was an interesting one.
Drew had a major first this year--he flew in a plane and what an adventure that was! For about a week before we left for our vacation to Disney World with his Godparents (NOT his first trip) he ran through every imaginable scenario of what could go wrong. "What if the plane is hit by lightning" he asked, followed by "What if the wheels don't work?" and my favorite one: "What if there are zombies?". I tried my hardest to give a reasonable answer but the day of liftoff, my little Bear was a bundle of nerves.
When we got on the plane, he nervously sat down and immediately buckled up, tightening his seat belt until it was more than snug. When the plane taxied for take off, he gripped my hand so tightly and his little brow furrowed. But, I watched as a smile appeared when the wheels went up. Two minutes after we arrived in Orlando, he looks at me and says, "Let's do it again." Perhaps he learned not to over think things. On the way home, my newly minted world traveller curled into a ball and fell asleep like he'd been doing this for years.
This year, Drew has shot up at least five inches. He reminds me of this every time he stands next to me and almost reaches my shoulder. There was a time that I could tuck him under my arm. Now, not so much. Every once in awhile, he'll look at me and say, "I'm almost as tall as you." My answer is always, "It won't be long." And it won't. I'm fairly certain that in a few years, he's going to be the one bending his head down to talk to me instead of the other way around.
It's also been a year of discovery. Much to my distaste, Drew had found the WWE and has to be reminded sometimes that I am not a wrestler. He's also decided that rather than follow the local WVU craze, he would rather be a Georgia Tech fan. Right now, Drew has decided that one day, he'll be a Yellow Jacket who is earning an engineering degree and then go to work at Disney World, designing rides. At seven/eight, I wasn't that sure of myself! Right now, he's a giant fan of Ready Freddy books and the color green.
My little Bear also seems to have wisdom beyond his years. Sometimes, when he is telling me his opinion on life while we are riding in the car, I have to peek back just to make sure that there isn't an adult sitting back there. His words of wisdom have already pulled me through some difficult days. There are moments when we have evolved conversations about space travel and gravity. In those moments, I know that one day, he will be so much smarter than me and I can't wait for that day.
Woven into all of the good things is one major discovery that was not as good. I've always known that Drew isn't as steady as other children and this year, it really became evident, especially after he expressed this for himself. After a few visits to various and sundry doctors, we have discovered that Drew has inherited a family trait from my father and myself that I really wish he hadn't. "The shivers", as Drew calls them, that he experiences are something called an Essential Tremor. Most people who have this condition don't show symptoms until their sixties. In fact, I'm young to have them and it's very rare for a child to show any signs.
Drew's "shivers" arent' that bad at the moment. The fact that this is a degenerative disorder concerns me greatly but right now, he and I are so busy living in the present that an old person disease can't get us down too far. Like everything else, we'll take this one on with humor, grace, and the strength of a warrior. Though I was slightly fearful when a doctor mentioned the need for medicine to control his hands in a few years, I'm hopeful that he'll find ways to cope with his struggles. We all have them, right? And, in the grand scheme of things, this one is a small one that he and I can muddle through together.
The most amazing moment for me during Drew's tenure as a seven year old was reading the last chapter of The House at Pooh Corner to his first grade class. From the moment he was born, my son has been my Little Bear and the last chapter of this book is all about how Christopher Robin is growing up and saying good bye to his childhood things. For the rest of my life, one of my greatest memories will be reading aloud the words, "So they went off together but where ever they go and whatever happens to them along their way, in that enchanted place on top of the forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing." And while I read, the most darling little bear handed me a tissue to wipe the tears that were streaming from my eyes. Somewhere, there's a picture of him wrapping his arms around me. For Drew, seven is a lot of things to him but that will always be my shining moment.
So, now we are eight. It's four years from middle school, seven from high school, eight from driving and and ten or so from Georgia Tech. From a mom perspective, this scares me to bits. It's like all of a sudden, my baby is gone and this young man has taken his place. I'm trying to seize and enjoy every moment--trying to make everything count while I can and when I can. I have every hope that eight will be filled with magical adventures and wonderful moments, just as seven was.
One thing is for sure--I have no doubt that my amazing little man will continue to awe me with his ability to see beyond me and beyond our world. As long as he is in my life, I have all of the love that I need.
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