As a parent, I am well versed in my children's milestone moments -- the first time standing up, the first word, the first steps, and so on. There are physical milestones that are measured on an emotional level by the proud parents as well as a technical level by the pediatrician. And now as my kids are getting older, what I'm discovering is that there are "social milestones" as well ... and my dear boy reached one a few days ago: his first phone call from a friend.
Aidan has talked on the phone before, to Don or Grandma and once to his cousin, but it's not often. He never really liked it -- perhaps because, in a way, a sightless conversation involves a bit of imagination, really, something he's a little short of at times.
Ever since Aidan started school and began riding the bus for the first time, he quickly established a "bus buddy," a little boy named Alex who is a few years older than Aidan. The draw was obvious -- Alex has a DS and plays it every day, and for Aidan that's like the proverbial fly in the buttermilk (or however the saying goes). Any gadget will hook Aidan in immediately, and thus Alex and Aidan became fast friends.
On Thursday Aidan came off the bus literally beaming, a wrapped Christmas gift held tightly in one hand. Throughout the day he had received a couple of Christmas cards from classmates, a candy cane, and several items from his "reading buddy" -- a 4th grader who reads to Aidan once a week. The best thing of all was this wrapped gift, which Aidan (surprisingly) wanted to save until he got home. Alex, it turned out, was equally excited and was dying to know what was in the package. His last words to Aidan when he got off the bus: "I'll call you later!"
After dinner the phone rang. We didn't recognize the name on caller ID yet answered it anyway. Someone was calling for ... Aidan! We called him to the phone, and his little face lit up with a bright smile. "Hi, Alex!" He then proceeded to tell his new little friend all about the gift -- a pen with a tiny LED screen and joystick, producing a miniature baseball game.
His first phone call from a peer, a bus buddy, a friend. No grown-ups involved, no parent calling ahead to set up the conversation -- a true one-on-one engagement. A big social milestone for my boy.
Oh, what will come next ...
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