October 16, 2023
Twenty Minutes of Everything: A Simple Walk with My 18-Year-Old Son
Today I went on a walk with my son.
That sounds like such an ordinary thing to do. However, to me it was really special.
My son is 18 years old. He is busy with all the things that teenager’s do. Getting him to stop long enough to utter more than a few words to me is rare.
My youngest child had just left on the bus for school. It was beautiful overcast morning temperature in the low 70s.
I decided instead of my normal five mile walk that I would take my german shepherd for a walk since the weather was so perfect (we are working on his walking skills).
My son, Michael had just finished making himself some breakfast and I asked if he wanted to go for a walk with us? I was surprised when he actually agreed to go with us.
It was just a 20 minute walk, but it was so peaceful and enjoyable.
20 minutes in the fresh air walking together
20 minutes of laughing at our silly dog as he galloped clumsily between us
20 minutes of having each other’s undivided attention
20 minutes of me realizing that I truly enjoy this season of life with my two oldest kids. I like who they are. I like hearing their perspective on things. They both have very deep thoughts and questions about life.
20 minutes of just me and my boy together. Oh, and Finn our german shepherd of course.
I don’t have an actual picture of today’s walk because I was too busy enjoying my 20 minutes to even think about taking a picture.
I hope our twenty minutes meant something to him too. I hope he felt loved and appreciated in those moments.
20 minutes may not seem like a lot, but to me, it was everything.
Written by Laura Simzyk of Olivia’s extraordinary journey.
