Right now, there are two knights in my living room. One carries a sword, the other a shield. They are fighting dragons and fire-breathing goombas (from Mario, of course). My youngest, the one with the shield, cries out, "Help, Teddy! A dragon has me! Help!" And Big Brother comes to the rescue, killing the dragons to rescue his brother.
And when Teddy is besieged by the fire-breathing goombas, Pete shows why shield-bashing is a lost art. Because brothers need to stick together.
Side by side, their imaginations take them to so many places. Today, they fight dragons as knights. Yesterday, they were Pokemon trainers, fighting wild Pokemon. They've been pirates and super heroes and dinosaur hunters. They've worked beside robots and animals, cartoon characters and even imaginary Mommy or Daddy (if we aren't around to actually help them fight). And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Part of it is that incredibly imagination that they share. I remember playing castle with my sister in the front yard and how real everything was to me. And I know, without a doubt, that it is the same for the boys in the world they create. With their imaginations, nothing can limit them, and they will reach for the stars. And a gaming-reading-writing-musical geek such as myself is so grateful that they have this advantage in life.
But another part of it is how close they are, especially when they play. They don't always get along - Pete hits and bites, Teddy screams and sometimes hits back. Teddy wants alone time that Pete just doesn't understand. They compete and get upset when they lose to one another. They're brothers and that's the way that life is. But they also count on one another. Even if it's against an imaginary dragon. They know that their brother will be there for them. The work together and create worlds together. And they really do love one another.
My boys drive me insane on a daily basis. I don't always have the patience for the fighting or the whining or the incessant "now now now" that they seem to think as their right. But when times like now come along, it pushes all of those thoughts and frustrations so far away that I barely remember they exist. And it's these times when I remember exactly why I wanted to be Mom.
I wish I could take a picture of this, but my camera is being borrowed by a friend. But I have a mental picture. And now I have words written down as well. It will have to do. Besides, I'm sure this isn't the last time knights will show up in my house. They'll be back and then, I hope, my camera will be ready.
And a lot less fun than the other options.
