It's A Good Thing They Are Cute!

My son at age 2.


I am going to brag for a moment. I have a beautiful son. I am fortunate that he is also a fairly nice, well-behaved child. I have always seen the beauty in my son and looked at him and thought "perfection!" even as I have been more than aware of his faults and weaknesses. But I figured I was biased. I mean I am his mother! I grew him inside of my body for 9 months! I thought I was just overcome with love and devotion, the kind that makes things beautiful. Then I started getting stopped in malls and on walks. People started commenting on the tone of his skin, the blueness of his eyes. The thickness and length of his eyelashes ("His lashes are not normal!" my hairdresser declared recently!). The dimples in his cheeks. He is now going into kindergarten and is very tall. He has lost all of his baby-ness, which makes me a little sad for me and a little excited for him. As he gets older I still get a few comments here and there and every so often I find myself looking at him and wondering if he is for real. And he is often sweet and loving, too. He is what I like to call a "gentle soul". At times this results in him being oversensitive and overemotional (like his mama), but he is also empathetic towards others, which is a trait I find lacking in many adults these days, never mind children! Don't get me wrong! I am not one of those parents that says, "My child can do no wrong". There are times when I wonder if he will live to see his next birthday. I have seen him run off on me and scare me silly. He has thrown fits of rage on the floors of many public places. He has said embarrassing things really loud (i.e. commenting on a woman's hair, or lack thereof, in Home Depot). And when I am so angry that I think I am going to blow, he unleashes the ultimate weapon: he looks at me all wide-eyed with those crystal blue eyes rimmed with dark, long, thick eyelashes. A rush of love sweeps over me, and I know that no matter how upset with him I am, he is still my sweet boy and I am so lucky to have him.

Here is my son (on the right) with my best friend's son. They had been swimming in the new pool at their house, even though it was only April. It was unseasonably warm and they couldn't resist the chance to splash around in the few feet of water when the pool was being filled.