Shadow Friends

When Grammy and Gramps were here, we apparently entered rainy season. Storms came through on and off all weekend, and as a result, the lighting in the house was unusual. The lamp stayed on all the time, but the light coming through the window alternated between bright and sunny and dim and cloudy. I suspect it is this unusual lighting that caught Patrick's attention.

As he ran back and forth around the living room keeping Grammy and Gramps entertained, he suddenly realized he was not alone. For the first time ever, he noticed his shadow on the one uncluttered wall behind him. He was fascinated. He experimented playing with his new shadow friend, who was just his size and imitated his every move. Patrick would run back and forth in front of the wall, watching as his friend chased him along the way. Then he would peek around the corner--where the light didn't reach--and wonder at how the friend disappeared so quickly. when he peeked back around, the friend was back!

Patrick hasn't done this since, but it was quite amusing for all of us to watch. There is something quite charming about watching someone Patrick's age discover something like that for the first time. We take common things like shadows for granted, but for Patrick it was fascinating because it was new. It was something to play with and experiment with to see how it worked. It kind of helps restore our sense of wonder with simple things in life, too, doesn't it?