No, I'm not talking about my husband, though he has a decent chunk of it. I'm talking about Ben. The delight of my heart.
I wish I could capture his laugh for you, his "tweet-tweet" around the yard, his manic "Gordon!!!" barbaric shout, the way the sunlight makes him glow.
Big pools of melted chocolate sparkle with a mischievous glint when he runs up to me to get my attention. "Hi!" "Well, hello to you, too, dear Ben."
One of the things I love most about being a mom is the opportunity to introduce my son to some of the simple pleasures in life. Last night, it was the garden hose.
While he was playing with a ball and Daddy in the backyard, I tugged the hose around the yard, watering my flowers and checking on my garden. As I soaked the soil in the garden, he came running up to see what on earth I was doing.
I showed him by spritzing him in the face. The water must have been ice cold, and the air temperature couldn't have been much higher than 65. But he gasped in shock and pure, unadulterated joy. A gasp that turned into a shriek that turned into a giggle. He came back, motioning for me to do it again. I did.
Again and again. I encouraged him to run through the spray, and he did tentatively at first, but then again with abandon. By the time I was done with my watering chore, I had thoroughly watered the boy as well. Soon, a deep chill overtook his body while he was playing. He shook visibly, and Daddy gathered him in his arms to carry him indoors to a warm bath and snuggy jammies.
I remember when I was pregnant with him. I'd spend minutes meditating on him as he gestated in my belly. With my hand gently resting on my swollen tummy, I'd try to conjure up images of what kind of boy he'd be. Would he be hyper or calm? Would he be naughty or obedient? Would he be a reader or an artist? The only thing I could really say for certain was that he had a sweet, gentle spirit. That I knew already.
And really, he's all of those things at different times, just like me. We're changeable people, adaptable and never bored. He's my buddy, my tag-a-long, and I'm absolutely enamored with this precious face.
