Three Cheers for Little Boys
My son Judah is turning six today. I am joining the ranks of parents everywhere who sigh over time gone by. Where did the years go? Already six years old with two missing teeth?
I am so thankful to have our little caboose. The youngest, eleven years junior to his nearest sibling. He is our special gift. If you asked any of us, we would all agree, Judah makes life better.
He has a way of reminding us that life is full of wonder. We smile and laugh more as he fills our days with his youthful energy and imagination. He reminds us, life was meant to be lived together.
Do you have a special person in your life that puts a smile on your face when you think of them? Do you take time to spend with this person? I think in families we can get trapped in the fallacy that we have plenty of time. We can put off today's opportunity until tomorrow. As I prepare Judah’s homemade ice cream cake I can’t believe it has been six years since the first time I held him in my arms. The only thing that soothes the ache is the closeness quality time has brought to our relationship.
We need to seize the day! I need to and so do you. It is important to be present in the moment, but somehow I struggle to do this. I find myself rattling off…” Just a minute,” to Judah’s imploring voice asking me to come and play.
“But the dishes…
But the book I’m reading…
I still have to take a shower…”
I don’t want to live my life in the middle of excuses. Cheating myself out of love and bonding by busyness or distraction. How about you? How do we get out of our heads, and put a pause on the to-do list to enjoy the special ones around us?
For me, it takes mindful decision-making. I actually say out loud: “I want to enjoy time with my son right now.” Saying the words out loud helps me snap out of task mode and into fun mode.
Today we celebrate Judah’s six-year birthday. He loves superheroes. He is fascinated with slime, even though I hate the substance. He loves running and fighting off imaginary bad guys. He is still tender and asks for bedtime stories, and gives great hugs and cuddles when he awakes in the morning. He loves his siblings and blowing bubbles. He says “I didn’t meena” instead of mean to!
As he grows I don’t wanna miss a thing, but I must fight my own adult habits of self-absorption to truly enjoy this gift I was given. I am mindfully, and on purpose putting down the to-do list to take up an imaginative ninja battle with my little one. He always wins! But to be honest, so do I. Because this is what I really want and the sacrifice to be in his world is what life is really all about.
Three Cheers for Little Boys