Fly Me to the Moon

July 18th, 2009

I try to refrain from sharing sentimental anecdotes about my children since these kinds of stories usually entertain only the parents themselves.  I am about to make an exception to that rule, however, so you may either humour me or find something more interesting to read.

As I was putting my eldest son to bed last night, he asked me, “Dad, can we go in a rocket sometime?”

I told him that not everyone can go up in a rocket, just astronauts.  I also told him that being an astronaut would mean lots of learning and practising and work, but that it would be an exciting job to try.  He was very quiet for a minute, so I asked him, “Would you like to be an astronaut?”

“Yes,” he told me gravely, “and Daddy too, so we can hold hands on the moon.”

I suddenly saw the two of us, hand in hand, standing in the loneliness and the darkness of space, tethered to the barren rock only by the tenuous gravity of the moon, and I could think of no better image to express the love of a father and a son.

Posted in Family | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Fly Me to the Moon”

  1. Curtis Says:
    July 19th, 2009 at 12:41 am

    Aw.

  2. Andrew Hill Says:
    July 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    that is so fuckin cute! dude check out the comments i’ve been getting on my reviews haha… people are just HATING! lets do coffee sometime soon.

  3. jeremylukehill Says:
    July 20th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    Andy,

    I can always count on you to add the profanity to any conversation.

    Does Thursday afternoon work for coffee?

  4. Shared Milestones Says:
    October 14th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    [...] What I love most about the web is its potential to connect me to my friends as they reflect and work through ideas that are also important to me.  Today, among so many other examples, the web gave me a picture of what it’s like to be a homeschooling dad.  I noticed Jason throw a link into twitter to a blog post he’d just finished writing.  The post is the sort of writing, but also the sort of experience I most desire for myself:  authentic shared experiences of life and learning between a parent and child.  I’ve had many similar experiences myself, and read lots more, like this one that Luke wrote. [...]

  5. chantelle Says:
    April 9th, 2010 at 11:06 am

    That’s so sweet, you’re words are making me cry. I shouldn’t read your blog while I’m at work! (sniffle)

  6. jeremylukehill Says:
    April 9th, 2010 at 11:54 am

    Chantelle,

    Don’t worry. I cry at work all the time.

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