A fathers pride

"C'mon, stand up! Find a good place for your feet,and stand up! You got it, dont worry so much about your hands, watch your feet!" I say excitedly, as I have with so many others, as they begin their rock climbing lives with me as something of a mentor. "Just trust your feet, and remember that I've got you!"
Like just about everyone else I have put on a rope for the first time, I see the fear in his movements as I shout encouragement upward,with my head craning back to a point just beyond uncomfortable.
In so many ways, he is like everyone else with whom I have shared my passion. Scared, excited, and a little clumsy. But he is very different. He is different, because he's my son, and he has never known life without climbing. Only now it's me looking up at him as he climbs steadily higher,not only facing the challenges....But persuing them. Life is good, and I am proud.