Tiny Joys #3: Tap Tap Tap
A bracelet, a tap and a home run
Our grandson, Andrew, owes me a home run!
Let me start at the beginning.
Our 8 year-old granddaughter, Makayla, is quite artsy. She was given a jewellery-making kit and while visiting one day she pulls a wildly colorful necklace with a matching bracelet from behind her back. She asked me to choose – the necklace or the bracelet?
The bracelet!
It was beautiful. Big, round, brightly colored baubles all around it.
That was the first tiny joy in this story. Her kindness and thoughtfulness are always front and centre. She warmed my heart.
I proudly put it on and while I’m admiring it, I look over at Andrew and spontaneously say to him, “So what do you have for me Andrew?”
He looks at me with these wide eyes and says, “What? I don’t have anything.”
“Why not? Your sister just gave me this beautiful bracelet” as I tap on it. “It’s your turn now to give me something.” Tap tap tap.
He stutters and sputters and doesn’t know what to say.
Tap tap tap
He then gets a brainstorm. “Hey, I’ll hit a home run tomorrow.”
“Ok, you’re on!”
“Ummm, well a home run is putting a lot of pressure on myself”, he quickly adds.
I’m not a mean grandma - so I give him an out – “if you’d prefer to just hit a single that’s ok with me. You just have to decide before we leave.”
“Oh it’s too much pressure”, he says. Such a drama king!
“Listen dude, you owe me something so I’m giving you the option to decide what it is. Home run, single, double. You choose. But once I leave here, you can’t change your mind.”
All the while I keep tapping my bracelet. Tap tap tap
He starts laughing, grabs a blanket, throws it over his head, and groans dramatically.
I’m loving every minute of it. Now don’t get me wrong – I love our grandchildren. But I also love teasing them – maybe just a wee bit more.
“Ok, Home Run – that’s what I’ll give you.”
“Deal”.
The following day we’re at the park and he tells me that he’s going to hit that home run.
Tap tap tap.
He strikes out the first time at bat. But he’s not discouraged. He’s matured so much in these last 2 years playing ball.
Second time at bat - he hits a single.
I give him a thumbs up.
And right here is when I get my tiny joy from Andrew – he tapped his wrist. Can you believe it? He tapped his wrist.
Letting me know that he still owes me that home run.
Tiny joy.
Tiny Tap.
Bursting Heart.
So you’re probably wondering if he hit that home run. Nope. But 2 days later, he not only hit a home run but he hit for the cycle. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make that game. But his Mom offered to videotape him every time he went up to bat just in case he hit the home run.
So we had a video of his home run! Yay!
There’s yet another tiny joy to this story -- for the first time ever - he texted me – the following morning. Asking if I’d seen how far he hit the ball.
Debt paid.
Bracelet retired.
Memory Forever.
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