As a mother, there’s nothing I love more than seeing my kids grow, learn, and let their imaginations run wild. And believe me, when it comes to wild imaginations, no one can beat my 8-year-old son, Timmy. Timmy is a brilliant, curious explorer, always off on some fantastic adventure in the backyard or in the depths of his imagination. But there’s just one little problem – he’s terribly clumsy, especially with his glasses.
My husband and I first noticed Timmy squinting at his picture books when he was four years old. It wasn’t long before our local Bayside optometry clinic for kids diagnosed him with mild myopia. Getting glasses seemed to be the end of Timmy’s vision troubles, but it was just the start of a whole new adventure.
In the two years since Timmy first got his glasses, he’s lost or broken more pairs than I can count. Each pair seems to vanish into thin air or mysteriously fall victim to some terrible fate. But Timmy, ever the storyteller, always has an extraordinary tale to tell about the demise of his latest pair.
The most recent of these imaginative tales involved a group of marauding pirates sailing through our suburban Brighton neighbourhood. According to Timmy, the infamous pirate Captain One-Eye mistook his glasses for a coveted treasure map and made off with them in his ghostly galleon. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Timmy’s imaginative explanation, even though I knew it meant another trip to the optometrist.
Our behavioural optometrist has been incredibly patient, replacing each pair of glasses and providing advice on how we can help Timmy take better care of them. Despite our best efforts, however, the glasses keep disappearing or turning up in pieces.
So, here’s to all the parents out there navigating the spectacle that is raising children. And if anyone happens to spot a pirate ship sailing down our quiet suburban street, do let me know. I’d love to retrieve Timmy’s “treasure map” and save us a trip to the optometrist!