“Open, Open!!”
This is what Matty shouts each week when he waits for the All Waste Garbage
Truck to come and take our trash away.
He wants the tops of the cans to be left open by the arm of the
truck. I don’t know why – it’s one
of his “things”. You can hear him
shouting with great excitement, “Open! Open on the grass!” as if he were
routing for his favorite football team.
Nope, it’s not football, it’s a garbage can.
(Here is a 6 second video so you can truly appreciate his excitement - with his happy hops!)
Even when he holds the iPad to watch garbage truck videos on
YouTube with his headphones on, we hear him yelling “OPEN, OPEN!” to the trucks in the videos. (Yes, people do post 15 minute-long videos of garbage trucks picking up garbage
cans, and for this I am extremely grateful).
Occasionally, he earns the prize of following the garbage
truck on what we call a “garbage car ride” (after great behavior reports from
school for a week).
Sometimes, this makes make me feel like I am missing out –
other parents are enjoying shared interests with their children. They are laughing together at the movie
theater or enjoying a sporting event together. On rainy weekend afternoons, they are relaxing at home
putting a jigsaw puzzle together or playing XBOX. Not us.
Greg and I are taking turns driving around looking for the garbage truck
with Matty.
“Just for me, Mommy, he left it open just for me?” I hear
Matty ask from the backseat as I drive behind the garbage truck – all the
drivers know Matty by name and wave at him when they turn around in
cul-de-sacs. He is
practically hanging out my car window greeting the truck drivers.
“Yes, Matty, he did leave it open just for you.” I respond. Really, it’s just the force of how
quickly the can is dropped, I think, but I can’t tell him that!
“I guess he is in an open mood, Mommy.” Matty is a great conversationalist.
 |
| This truck is doing it right by Matty's standards - putting this can down with the top OPEN. |
Somehow, Matty’s pure excitement for finding and watching
the garbage truck has rubbed off on me. No, I am not watching youTube videos about garbage in
my spare time or yelling “OPEN”.
But his excitement has helped me to see things differently.
Being Matthew’s mom has opened my mind to a whole new way of
thinking. In my PPL (Pre-Parenting
Life), I had such a narrow view of how the world works. Going through life now, with
Matty by my side, my eyes have been opened to new ways of thinking, teaching
and understanding the world each day.
The recycling truck driver who drives the garbage route in
our neighborhood clearly understands how important open cans are to Matty. He will lift our cans extra times, give
them an “extra shake” till the can is deposited on the ground with the top
open. Yup, just for Matty.
So, Matty, thank you for opening my heart, my thoughts and
my mind.
Amy, your insight as a parent is not only profound, but it is truly inspirational. Your journey a parent is different than most, but I believe that you were put on this path not only because you would be the perfect mommy for Matty, but because your role and experiences as his mother provide comfort, a sense of unity, and a resource for other parents that are on the same path as you, and for those of us that are not. Although I've suggested it several times, I will say it again. I wish you would publish your thoughts into a book, for those that are not fortunate enough to know of your blog, but, are desperate to learn and benefit from your victories, your challenges, and your strategies. Although we are separated geographically, I am so proud to call you my friend. Each and every time you publish a new blog, I learn more about you and Matty, but it also helps me to reflect on myself as a person, and a parent. If I haven't said it already, thank you. Although our parental paths are very different, your blogs merge our paths together, as I continue to learn from you. Just like the open garbage cans, your insight continues to open my eyes, when they inadvertently are closed.
ReplyDeleteLove and miss you.
Jeanmarie.