Last weekend Tania and I had a wonderful time celebrating our match anniversary! Over the last few years Tania has mentioned several times how much she enjoys miniature golfing. Unfortunately there is not a place to miniature golf in Santa Barbara so up until this weekend we haven’t had the opportunity. Seeing that this was a special week for us I decided to surprise her by picking her up from school and driving her down to Ventura, CA to visit Golf ‘N Stuff. We played 2 rounds of golf (36 holes!) and then took a spin on the bumper boats (she got significantly less wet than I did, I’d say that she won this round!). Afterward we went inside and practiced throwing basketballs, baseballs, and skeet balls followed by numerous rounds of friendly competition on Dance Dance Revolution. One of my favorite aspects of being a ‘Big’ is being able to view the world through a child’s eyes again in adulthood. It allows me the opportunity to run, play, dance, sing… and miniature golf, without a worry in the world. Our visits are often spent taking silly photos, singing off-key, playing on the monkey bars, building sandcastles, doing arts/crafts and playing tag…all with a BIG smile on our faces.
The time that I’ve spent with Tania over the last couple of years has been eye-opening and incredibly rewarding. I’ve watched her grow (physically and emotionally) and mature into a very remarkable young lady. The area that I’ve witnessed her make the most improvement in is in her willingness to trust people. When I first met her she was incredibly introverted, had a difficult time making eye contact, and had a very hard time making and retaining friends. While there is certainly still room for improvement in this area the changes that I’ve witnessed have been significant. When appropriate she makes conversation with people we’ve just met, she smiles and makes eye contact with people that she’s speaking with, she has rekindled several friendships that previously ended, and she has made numerous new friends. I am so honored to be a part of these crucial years in Tania’s life. I hope that in a small way I am able to prove to her that she can continue to count on me to push her and support her through all of her endeavors.
