He then will dart for the stairs anxiously awaiting the bath or a trip in the car. As he approaches the edge he will look up at me just waiting for permission to take the first step. I will reach my hand down and Michael will wrap his little palm around my index finger and grab onto the spindles that make their way down the banister of our staircase. Slowly, his left foot will approach the edge of the first step and his right knee will begin to bend as he slowly slides his foot down on to the next step.

I am currently visiting my parent’s house this weekend and I couldn’t help notice the similarities between my young boy that is almost two, and my grandfather. We traveled to upstate NY this particular weekend to celebrate his eighty-seventh birthday. While there may be a gap in physical age, there are some things they have in common. There is an innocent stubbornness that they both have. They want to do things their way and in their time. Plus, they approach stairs in much the same way.

I have mixed emotions about this comparison. It is sad and slightly humorous to see two people I love going through such a unique but amazingly similar experience… one getting older and the other growing younger.