Bouncing Buddies

Once upon a time, many years ago, Jim’s life revolved around a little girl.  And her trampoline.  When he would get home from work in the summertime, Jim and this little girl would spend nearly every evening jumping and flipping together in the backyard.  Nothing made him happier than seeing her laugh when he would throw his body weight into the center of the trampoline, catapulting her little body (safely) into the air.

Now, that little girl isn’t so little anymore.  His niece Allison is nearly all grown up, a fifteen-year-old living with her family in Arizona.  So, for seven years now, he’s been without his trampoline buddy.  And his trampoline.   

Until now.

When we bought our house last summer, the previous owners offered to leave their old trampoline in the yard, free of charge.  I was tempted to tell them to simply dispose of it before we took ownership of the property, but Jim was excited about the prospect of future trampoline fun.  So we accepted their offer, but for whatever reason, never even tried out the trampoline.  It was soon covered with the leaves of fall, and then the snow of winter.  But yesterday while he was doing yard work, Jim must have sensed that a new trampoline season was in the air.  He walked inside the house with a big grin and asked the girls if they wanted to join him outside.  They were ecstatic, and after we bundled them up, they eagerly headed toward the giant contraption in the yard.  But once we picked them up and set them inside, Becky had a change of heart.  My little adventure-seeker was not so keen about feeling the floor bend and sway under her feet.  She screamed in panic and begged to be held.  Jim picked her up and assured her that jumping was fun, but she was not going to be convinced. 

After a while, she consented to sit on her daddy, but she wouldn’t set foot back on the net.  Susie, on the other hand, decided that she loved the weightless, buoyant trampoline experience, and was all too happy to bounce in circles around her sister and dad.  

Becky soon joined me on terra firma and we let Susie and Jim do all the jumping.

They had a blast bouncing away, and I think I saw a youthful giddiness in Jim’s step as he once again enjoyed seeing a beloved child delight in the simple pleasures of a trampoline.