Little Man on Ice

Sometimes something unexpected and a little bit magical happens to give you a lift and brighten your day. We went into Dublin early today to get the last of the Christmas shopping done. But by 11am, the crowds were building, we hadn’t found anything we were looking for, and my mood was pretty low. I hate shopping at the best of times, but when it’s crowded – my whole body just tenses up and I have to spend the whole time resisting the urge to flee!

Then in the midst of it all, just as I was thinking this was the worst possible way to spend a morning, we happened upon an ice-skating rink, right beside the Leprechaun museum and The Church that is no longer a church at the end of Mary street.

The music was playing, the ice was beckoning, and the whole rink was completely empty. An oasis in the midst of this shopping desert.

A small fortune later, the three of us were on the ice. They provided Little Man with those double blades that strap directly on to the child’s shoes, and Charlie and I had those regular blue plastic rental shoes. And it was magical. We took turns leading Little Man around the ice – and he actually did reasonably well staying upright.

The last time I skated was long before Little Man was born. I think it must be five years ago now. I’m not very good – but I can make my way around the ice without falling, which I don’t think is bad for someone who learned to skate as an adult.

We’ve always dreamed of the day we would take Little Man on activities like ice-skating – but I never expected that the first time we did it, we’d have the whole ice rink to ourselves.

By the time we headed home an hour later, I’d forgotten all about the awful crowds in the shops. All I was thinking about was the three of us skating to Chrismas songs in the middle of the city. 🙂