This past week my son turned 6. The thought of having a 6 year old has filled me with more emotion than I anticipated. It not only brought to light the fact that six whole years have gone by since our family of two became a family of three, but also that my little boy, my first baby, is really growing up.
Between this and the going-to-school full time thing, my heart is a wreck.
I love watching my children grow. Each week, month and year brings with it a new adventure. A new challenge as a parent (some of them I could do without) and more fun. My children continue to develop a special, unique personality that belongs to only themselves, that can not be duplicated and yet is shared with us daily.
These are the gifts I receive from them on the day of their birth each year.
Their smiles, hugs and how they are discovering themselves are the rewards of parenthood.
I look at my towering 6 year old with the memory of an elephant, a sense of humour like one of the three stooges and the ability to choreograph every moment of his life to song and dance and I see my happiness. With the past six years tucked gently behind me, in a place that will always be held close to my heart, I can’t help but see the horizon – the future that he and his sister have in store for us, and for themselves.
Birthdays make me reflect. And this year I am reflecting with a smile and a pop-rock tune in my heart. Because that’s how my newly turned 6 year old likes it.
