When he was small, my youngest son had a habit of filling his pockets with treasures he encountered in his daily adventures. I didn't always understand the value he saw in his chosen objects -- really, how many rocks and sticks could one boy keep? In his eyes, though, each one was beautiful and important. Life is just like that on a larger scale, isn't it? We gather up the precious bits of our experiences and save them all to learn from and enjoy later. Perhaps you'll find a little something here that you'd like to keep in your own pockets. Thanks for visiting.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lucky number seven


Will is seven years old today (!), and in his brightly excited, happy birthday grin this morning, I couldn't help notice the very wiggly front top tooth that will soon fall out, leaving a gap in his cute baby-face smile and changing the way he looks forever. It was one of those moments of revelation for me, a reminder that my littlest boy is really not very little anymore, and it made me feel quite sentimental in the quieter moments of my morning.

According to family legend, seven is generally an unlucky year, as is evidenced by the many unfortunate incidents that have occurred when various relatives were seven years old. (I personally earned my place in the bad-luck-sevens family album by riding my bike no-hands like a maniac, crashing violently face-first into the pavement, and ending up with stitches, mouth injuries, and an insanely swollen jaw. Sorry, Mom!) However, I am going to ignore my genetically programmed tendency to imagine any "worst-case scenarios" for this coming year and believe instead that seven is a wonderfully lucky number. Will deserves a fortunate year after some of the bumps he's faced in recent ones. I know for me, raising this sensitive, deep boy whose personality has unfolded so complexly and so beautifully over the past seven years makes me feel like an incredibly lucky mom.

There are seven million reasons to love my seven year old birthday boy today. His wonderful curiosity and keen eye for detail have given me new ways of looking at the world around me, allowing me to find wonder and beauty where I might not otherwise have noticed it. His fine-tuned sensitivity to feelings makes him affectionate and caring; he is kind to all creatures, concerned about those who are sad or hurt, and still likes to slip his warm hand snugly into mine when he's climbing the stairs up to bed. His laughter is huge and genuine, and it's impossible not to be drawn in by his enthusiasm and passion for all of the things he finds exciting in life. His determination, his perseverance, and his constant questioning (sometimes challenging) have taught me to be more patient and resourceful; I've had to learn so much about both him and myself, and have become a better parent and person as a result.

The truth is, we don't need any new dramatic events in this year of Will being seven; the years leading up to this one have already been a pretty wild ride at times! Still, at 7:33 this evening, when I'm getting ready to tuck my newly-minted seven year old boy into bed, I'll be ever thankful for that same moment seven years ago that brought such a precious gift to my life. Happy Birthday, Will! I wish you many times seven more joyful years to keep growing into an ever more wonderful you!







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