Glancing Back

Shark Boy hops out of the Land Yacht truck each morning and I watch him shrug on his backpack and walk toward the school. He looks so small, in his little uniform, surrounded by all the bigger kids. And he seems too little to be marching confidently away from me like that, without looking back.

Today the school is going on a field trip to see Suessical, the Dr. Suess musical. When we came around in the drop off lane this morning, I spotted the Grinch. An older child was dressed up in a lime green Grinch costume greeting children as they jumped out of their cars. Shark unbuckled his seatbelt, opened his door, and stood on the running board, eyeing the Grinch and hesitating. He glanced back at me. I said "I wonder which of your classmates is in the costume? It looks so cute!"

The Grinch approached, ready to help him jump down. Seeing Shark 's reluctance, the kind Grinch pushed up his mask, revealing a smiling face, and said brightly, "Hey Shark it's me!"

Shark Boy leaped from the car and I took a picture with my phone of him (grinning ear to ear) and the Grinch.

I love these moments when, despite the appearance of being older, and in spite of all his newfound independence, I glimpse a very small boy who still needs to see me when he glances back.