Upheld In Watching Wyatt

“Hoo Hoo! Grandma!” Chuckled my five year old grandson, Wyatt, with delight. Not once, but several times. Who would have thought something so simple as racing him from garage to house would elicit this kind of response?

First—let’s get this straight. I don’t run. I don’t like to run. I have never liked running. I am now old enough to have an excuse NOT to run.

It all started when I visited my daughter and her family for a weekend far away from my home. They were moving into a beautiful habitat with a view. Not only one view, but on top of a mountain. They owned the hills AND the outlooks all around them. Paradise, indeed!

While the rest of the family worked on dog kennels and moving stuff, Grandma (me!) got the job of watching Wyatt. We explored the hill around the house first. Teaching moments occurred when we happened upon giant ant hills in our wanderings. The area was still pretty wild and natural, after all, and the ants were there first.  We veered aside.

We hiked through trees, scrub brush and rolled in the grass lawn before visiting Wyatt’s favorite object—the charred remains of a downed tree. He started to climb on it, as was his habit, but I noticed the ants taking over and we had another nature lesson.

I decided it was time to check on the rest of the family so we climbed the hill to the garage. They were still busy, so our plan changed and we headed for the house. Another small ascent.

That’s when Wyatt said, “Grandma! I’ll race you!”

“No, I don’t run. You go ahead.” Then I thought—why not?

I took off running and heard Wyatt chortling behind me. He overtook me when we got to the house.

All the time, I heard, “Hoo! Hoo! Grandma! Hoo Hoo!”

Some moments are worth the run.