It’s my little nephew’s seventh birthday today!
He has a lot of depth to him. I subscribe to the idea of reincarnation (as a dilettante) and I remember thinking when I first saw him, “Oh, he’s done this before.”
Watching him grow up has just reinforced that for me. Before he could talk, he was trying to communicate. (I still remember a pantomime when he was about two, “telling” me how he got a splinter in his foot and Grandma and Grandpa took it out.) Now that he can read and write, he loves books and keeping his journal. You tell him something and you can see him weigh it, digest it, judge it (and often dismiss it–you can’t put anything over on this kid).
At the same time, he’s fearless about a lot of things–not in the way little kids are fearless because they don’t know any better, but because he’s thought about the consequences and decided that whatever he’s pondering is worth the risk.
He’s curious like his dad and determined like his mom, which means you need to have a really sound reason and/or compelling explanation for getting him to do something he doesn’t want to do.
He loves his Grandpa especially, I think because they can be so silly together. I feel like I’m the coolest person in the world when he asks me to play with him and I treasure every note and card that says “I love you.”
In short, he’s just a delightful little human and we’re all so lucky to get a round at this life together.