I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic this week – my little baby just turned five, and it’s brought up all kinds of feelings. Five feels so momentous – he’ll be starting kindergarten in the fall, and my cuddly little baby will officially be a school-aged child. It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since we welcomed him into this world, it feels like only yesterday we were desperately figuring out diapers and bottles and burping and wondering how we were ever going to keep this fragile little person alive. At the same time, I struggle to remember a time before he was in our lives, it’s as if the world before him has become some sort of dream, vague and fuzzy in my memories. The mind is a complex place, and there’s nothing quite like becoming a parent to turn it inside out and upside down.
To mark this occasion, I turned to one of my favourite poetry collections – When We Were Very Young, by A. A. Milne. Better known as the creator of the iconic Winnie the Pooh, Milne was also an inspired poet, who captured early childhood with such warmth, humour and clarity that his works still connect with readers over a century after their release. I was thrilled to discover a vintage copy of this collection at a library book sale many years ago, and it has sat proudly on my bookshelf ever since.
While I love so many of the poems in When We Were Very Young, I finally decided, after much deliberation, to share this one, entitled Hoppity. If any poem captures my son’s energy, it’s this simple delight.
Walking anywhere with my child is an exercise in patience, as, like most children, he cannot simply walk. No, he must hop, skip, jump, run, twist, bounce and otherwise move his body in as many different ways as possible. And when he’s not doing that. he’s crouched down staring with deep fascination at a rock, or a leaf, or a trail of ants. It cannot be helped – just as Christopher cannot stop hopping.
And like I’m sure Mr. Milne did before me, I remind myself that one day my sweet little boy won’t hop, skip, jump, run, twist, bounce his way down the street. He probably won’t even want to walk beside me, for fear of appearing uncool to his buddies. So, while I can, I add some extra time to my commute, and embrace each hop, for as long as I can.
Be sure to visit this week’s Poetry Friday host Michelle Kogan’s blog for more inspiring poetry.
Five is a fun age! Happy birthday to your son. You do a lovely job of describing how parenthood changes your sense of time. “Hoppity” fits nicely. There’s no time like the present to take a long time to get somewhere 🙂
It’s so much fun! He’s so full of energy and ideas and the funniest questions, while still having some of that heart-melting little boy sweetness. It isn’t always easy to live in the moment, but we’re trying! 🙂
Oh, my heart – what a warm, wonderful, poignant post! Best wishes to your young one with so much ahead this year – and plenty of hopping and observing on tap. (I can’t believe our little Baby Grand is about to turn 2! It goes so fast with children, and doubly fast with grandbabies, evidently.) Happy Summering to you all!
Oh, it does just fly by, doesn’t it? My mum says the same thing, I’m so lucky we literally live right next door to her, so she doesn’t have to miss a moment with this little hopper. <3
Aww, I love this poem, Jane. And I see it come alive in my 22-mo old grandson who, as you note, will not be hurried (in his case, through our walks in the forest). Thanks for sharing this!
We love walks in the forest, too! There’s just so much to see, especially when you’re so low to the ground – so many interesting rocks and sticks and leaves and feathers, how can you hurry? 😉
The truth of your words poke at me…my littlest one that was very much the way you describe just entered his senior year of college. I miss my little one so much. This next stage of school has so many wonderful moments waiting for you. Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!
It goes by so quickly, doesn’t it? Sometimes I look at little babies and I struggle to believe we were there not that long ago, it feels like I blinked and he was marching off with his backpack. So far, every stage of childhood has been ever more fun and interesting than the last, so I’m holding on to the present while looking forward to the future. 🙂
Good that you captured this moment in time with your sweet boy!
They just fly by! Sometimes it’s just the little things, like trying to walk through an outdoor equipment store without your child trying to climb into every single tent on display…. ;-D
Aw, I remember when he was just a tiny one, too, Jane. I love Milne’s poems, and “Hoppity, hoppity, hop” is so right for your new kindergartener! Milne’s poems fit many ages. I just gave his “Spring Morning” to a high school grad with her gift. Hope you like it, too!
I know!! I feel like I just shared his tiny little fist in a Poetry Friday post yesterday, and now he’s five! I adore Milne’s poems, they just seem to capture childhood so perfectly.
Jane, I love the AA Milne poem and how you related it to your son. Five is a big step forward so enjoy every moment you have with him. I want to do that with my daughter’s three little girls (almost 7, 4, and 1). Savor the days of summer with your son.
Jane, what a precious time for you and your son. I love that you add time to your errands, so he has time to jump and skip and hop and move like a five-year-old should. Enjoy, as I know you are. Thanks for sharing the sweet hopping poem by Milne.
Jane, what a precious post about that sweet five-year-old. I love that you allow for extra time on the commute so he can do his hopskiphopjumpruntwistbouncemove like he should!
I bought Milne’s book when my sons were little and I love his joyful and whimsical poetry! Hoppity, hop is what I liked doing when I was little and is so creative what one can do with legs and two feet. My sons are thirty six and thirty four and I cherish every moment I have with them and still see the little boys in them.