The little guy trots into a room. He makes you think, makes you wonder.
He’s small but tall. Beautiful blue eyes. A smile that could light up a stadium.
What did I pass along? If anything? I smile just wondering. Wondering when or if I’ll find out.
Loves to ride his bike. Loves people. Loves his sister. Loves his mom and I. Finds the good in people.
As a parent you dream of happy and healthy. Playing the ever so dangerous game of pregnancy and childbirth comes at a cost. Comes with risk. Comes with uncertainty. The hope is happy and healthy. We didn’t get that. We got something better. We were gifted with a human that could teach us. Teach us how to smile. Teach us how to care. Teach us how to love.
Parents across the board will gloat about how smart, funny, and cute their kids are. And every single one of them is correct. Their kid is smarter than yours. Says funnier things than yours and is definitely cuter than yours. And it’s all true. Because those kids are theirs.
I’ll need far more gray hairs to know or understand what this little human has done for me. But, as I tend to do, I’ll project.
He’ll take me from a person unsure of what’s next to one craving his next text.
He’ll take me from a person searching for a treasure under the sand to a person happy with his toes in it.
He’ll take me from an individual searching for purpose to an individual serving a purpose.
He’ll take me from a me to an us.
There are moments for everyone that are important. Small under a microscope, but big because they are yours. My incredible, smiling, blue eyed, loving 5-year-old is graduating from “pre-kindergarten” tomorrow, and this dad could not be prouder. You may have a child graduating from Harvard, you may be receiving a big promotion, you may have a family member running for an important political office. But this moment is just as important. Because it belongs to me, and my family.
I beg myself often to never take these the moments for granted. Never lose sight of what’s important to you. Regardless of what’s important to someone else.
Proud of you buddy. Go get em tomorrow!
-Dad
In With The Words 