Closets Are for a Batman Cave

This morning, my four-year-old kept disappearing into my closet.  I couldn't figure out what could be in the closet that was so interesting to him.  When he came out, I questioned his choice of playing in the closet.   He proudly responded, "it's my Batman Cave!"  His sister and I burst into laughter. Then an idea popped into my head....he needed his own Batman Cave.


So I turned to him with my eyes sparkling excitedly and a higher pitch in my voice, "you know what?  I am going to fix you a Batman Cave in the closet under the stairs!"  Before his sister could finish styling my hair, he had run from the room and made sure this would be accomplished...TODAY!  He dragged all the blankets, basketballs, baseball gloves, swords, pillows....(you get the picture), out of the future home for Batman!

His sister came around the corner laughing, "Mom, everything is all over the entry way floor."  The adventure had began.


As one of those interior decorating-minded persons, I couldn't just have a Batman Cave that was just an empty closet....Oh, NO!  It had to be the real thing.  We attached nails on the wall for Batman's Mask.  We found old keys for the Batman Cave door, which would also hang on the wall.  We attached the Batcape to a hanger.  Dollar Store provided the plastic table cloth which would become the draped black entry into the cave. Leftover Batman birthday party decorations would attach to the walls.


We grabbed the camera to document Batman in his cave.  I texted the older brothers to let them know that they, too, could come to venture into the Batman Cave.  His 24 year-old-brother texted back how he loved the closet under the stairs in our old home.

Memories were made, Momma enjoyed playing and a four-year-old's eyes were lit up as Mom stopped her day to make a REAL Batman Cave.


I was shortly jolted back to reality, leaving behind the imaginary, when the mother of my daughter's friend drove into our driveway.  She is now very small, a scarf hides her bald head, and her arms are bruised from her cancer treatments.  As I tried to encourage her in her fight, she turned to me and started telling me what the Lord has shown her.  The unanswerable question of our final day on this earth only makes it even more special to stop and make a Batman Cave to fill with memories.


 Dad arrived home after a long day at work to hear his four-year-old yell, "look Dad!"  Our son then announced that he was Batman and Dad was Robin.  The adventure would continue with persuading "Robin" to sleep with "Batman" in the Bat Cave.  A cheerful Dad (Robin) laid down in the imaginary world of his youngest son (Batman), with his legs sticking out of the "Cave" across the entry way and a small protest from Mom to have Robin sleep with her.

Have you stopped your day to play?  Time is just too precious not to stop and make a Batman Cave.