This is a video of Chandler playing with a hover craft toy we got last Christmas. You turn it on and it floats in the air and then descends until it senses something below it, like your hand or the floor.
I love this video because Chandler used to be terrified of this toy. We’d turn it on and he would BOLT to the other side of the room. But he was fascinated with it and would watch it, and me playing with it, intently. He would demand “MORE PLEASE” when it ran out of battery and needed to charge.
Still, he would never go near it.
We just recently got it back out of the closet, and apparently Chandler has conquered his fears. This is one of my favorite parts of fatherhood. Watching my son overcome his fears.
One of the biggest lessons my father taught me was that it was okay to be afraid, but never okay to let fear control your actions. I don’t know if it is something that he repeatedly impressed upon me or simply told me once, but that lesson has always stuck with me.
Chandler is very honest about what scares him. He’ll often tell us, “Chandler scared.” We watched a show the other day and he got real close to me and told me he was scared. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to watch the show. In fact, he was upset when it was over.
I love Chandler’s willingness to overcome his fears. And that’s why I love this video.
