Remember the kid that used to run until he collapsed. The kid that would be lying in the grass with his buddies, all out of breath from hours of full on play. That kid held nothing back. That kid lived to play. He pushed himself to his physical limits on a daily basis. He did not just daydream. He went through the motions. That kid was the astronaut. He was the firefighter. The martial artist. The baseball slugger. Superman. Remind me again, what happened to that kid?

It seems somewhere along the way, I abandoned him. Left in the woods and presumed him dead. Growing up is not easy. I had to work my way through college so I had a little less time for that wild little boy. But he was still there, and he frequently showed himself. After college, I had even less time for him. I was starting a career. I had to work long and hard to be successful. That’s what everyone expected of me. I was getting married. I was having children. Soon, I had no time for that kid at all. I had to pay the bills. I had to make more money so I could live the American dream. So that my children could have all the best and want for nothing. My father did it. Sure, we spent time together. We tossed the pigskin around every now and then, but not often enough. Little did I realize, that what my kids want most…more than the video games or the latest toys. More than the mp3 players and the blu-ray discs. More than anything, they want to spend time with me. Time reading and drawing. Time ripping and running. Most of all, they want to meet…that kid. That kid I used to be.

I thought that kid was dead, but this weekend I heard his faint, familiar voice calling. Maybe he is not dead. Maybe he has just been roaming around in the wilderness, searching for his way back home. This weekend I caught brief glimpses of that kid in the reflection of my sons eyes. What happened next may sound quaint, but to me it was exhilarating. Next, I decided to get dirty. I decided to get tired. I chose to bring that lost little boy out of the woods and introduce him to my son and it was amazing. It was fulfilling. More fulfilling than that pat on the back from my boss. More fulfilling than the extra money that promotion brought. More precious than the rarest crystal. I can sound altruistic and say that I did it for my son. To see him laughing and playing and enjoying himself, but that would only be half of the truth. While I am sure he got a lot out of it, I know that my portion was at least equal to his own. Now I know that I want to spend the rest of my life introducing my children to that kid. I want to teach them to never abandon that adventurous little boy or girl that lives inside of them as I did. I want to show them how that kid and their dad can live side-by-side.

It happened to me. Has it ever happened to you?

Back in November of 2008 I posted about my wife losing her job and embarking on starting her own business. It was a scary proposition. The process was exhausting and often frustrating as well. But the results, so far, have been rewarding.

After several months of hard work Jumpy Gym is now open! The doors opened at the end of October of this year. I am so proud of my wife and what she has accomplished so far. As a family we made several sacrifices to try and make this dream a reality. It feels good when the goals you set out are accomplished. My uncle always said “Plan the work and work the plan.” Though we are rejoicing in my wife’s accomplishments up to this point, we know there is still much work to do. So keep praying for us! Oh, and if you have kids, bring them over to Jumpy Gym to…Celebrate Play!

Slagsmålsklubben – Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

The Call

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from my wife, Estelina, informing me that she was just laid off. When she told me the news, it felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. She was working part-time while she attends graduate school at St. Edward’s Universtity. Estelina was in surprisingly good spirits, which helped elevate my mood as well. There had been grumblings of organizational changes and possible layoffs through the grape vine at her work, so we were mentally prepared for this outcome. In fact, the more we discuss it, the more we are coming to terms with it. It could even be a blessing.

The Secret

Why in the world would getting laid off be a blessing? It isn’t like we don’t need the income. The truth is that for the last two months, Estelina has been working very hard towards open a children’s entertainment facility. If you are a parent you’ve no doubt seen the places with inflatables and moonwalks were kids can have birthday parties, run, jump and play. Well, we are hoping to be the preferred destination for parties and good old fashion fun. If all goes according to plan, we will open the doors in June 2009.

We’ve never done anything like this before and to be honest it is all a bit scary. There is a lot of work yet to be done and a lot of uknowns. But Estelina is dilligent. She continues to research and run the numbers (over and over again). Her passion for it is infectious. Even the developers she met with could not help but be won over by her knowledge and enthusiasm. Most importantly, our faith is carrying us through. No matter what happens, we are going to be alright. Just keep us in your prayers.

The Ragnar Texas Relay starts in San Antonio and meanders its way through Fredricksburg and other Central Texas towns ultimately ending in Austin. Each of the 12 team members will be required to run relay legs ranging from 4 to 8 miles in length. The hilliness of the course will make some relay legs more arduous than others. I have not been training nearly as hard as I should, but that all changes this week.

I am going to try and step up my training to get in 4 or 5 runs each week, with at least one of those being a long run (6+ miles). My injured hamstring is feeling much better so I should be good to go. I’ve never participated in any event like this, but it should be fun. Just pray that I don’t keel over and end up like a piece of road kill on the side of the highway.

The motorized parade continued the creep along at a turtle’s pace until I reached the first traffic light, at which point each successive vehicle increased its speed to the legally mandated 35 miles per hour. Only one long, sinous, two lane road permitted access into and out of my quiet little subdivision. The air from my automatic temperature controlled heater had not yet began to fill the car with warmth. My teeth chattered slightly as I began to reconsider my choice of medium weight black leather jacket to insulate me against the winter chill.

As I approached one of the many familiar curves that adorn my commute, I was struck by something quite unfamiliar. On the opposite side of the road, looking in my direction was a small creature. This critter was slight and about three feet in height. I was captivated by the strange look in its eyes. Its breath was heavy and rhythmic, manifesting in stringy white clouds that dissapated as they rose slowly into the twilight sky. In one fleeting moment, the breaths halted and the creature bolted out into the procession of automobiles. My heart stopped and my stomach seemed to drop out of my abdomen, falling headlong into a deep dark pit. From that point on, everything seemed to move in slow motion. A large red backpack, topped by the lifeless hood of a black sweat jacket bounced and danced as the tiny animal raced across the street. Time seemed to resume normal speed as the child disappeared in front of the large champagne colored suburban that was now frantically braking in front of me. As I stamped my brake pedal into the floor, I saw the little bastard emerge unscathed on the grass flanking the passenger side of my vehicle.

Furious, I rolled my passenger window down and proceeded to chastise (without the use of profanity) the tiny scoundrel. After realizing that he could not hear me, I drove on dumfounded. I thanked God for watching over the little heathen, greatful that I did not begin my week as witness to another roadkill incident.