When your child is three, don’t fret too much. Things will change, surely.. Attitudes change.. mood swings get intense.. But the love is still immense.
It’s amazing to have conversations with your son or daughter.. it’s unbelievable to fathom that they have opinions, tastes, wants, desires.. hopes.. and yes, fears. They see shadows and ponder the source, and hear sounds and wonder the location.. They fear what’s under the bed. But deep down, don’t you, too? Whether it’s the childlike reality or the modern day adult version, we still fear the unknown.
I certainly do..
Ayden is three, going on 30. Still over 20 months until he would start a traditional Kindergarten, but I fear that.
I fear bullies and I fear violence. I hope we raise Ayden to be himself and listen to his own voice, instead of falling for peer pressure.. I hope my wife and I bring Ayden the best of the world but warn him of the worst..
And I hope and pray to whatever God is above or below that the boy has a life worth remembering..
Ayden made me a card at day care the other day. It was a paper cutout of a tie colored by him, with a note inside saying he loves me. He wrote his own name *with help* but was exceptionally proud of it.. I was too. I proudly hung it on the refrigerator (trying to find room around all of the other things he brought him for me and his mommy) ..
To me Father’s Day is a day of practicality.. Love.. and abundant joy over having a child who hopefully looks up to you and always will.
I plan on singing along with Ayden to songs from Phineas and Ferb episodes to celebrate. I hope we still can do such things when he’s 13 and 33..