Bird is 10 years old today. 10. We’ve entered the double digit zone. I’m bracing myself. I see wine and DSW in my future. I also see a hazy future and an equally hazy past. Where have 10 years gone? What has shaped this child of mine during these years? I don’t want to jump ahead or play the “what if game. I just want to savor who my son is right here right now.
He is a master with sports stats and numbers.
He reads fantasy and mythology series and has taken a liking to the classics too.
He requested duck confit for breakfast, sushi for lunch, and the Angus Barn for dinner on his 10th birthday.
He would rather play outside than play video games.
He plays piano beautifully and plays electric guitar too.
He appreciate puns and word humor.
He sleeps with one leg sticking out of the sheets.
He can put his fist in his mouth.
He carries a bottle of Tabasco in his lunchbox.
He has an uncanny knack for drawing caricatures.
Bird and I share the same constitution (and ability to put our fist in our mouth), though he is a more confident and talented version of me. We butt heads regularly because we are the same people inside our brains. In our hearts we differ, though I see that changing as he matures. If our hearts were mattresses, his would be firm while mine would a pillow top. That’s because motherhood has softened me. I remember my days of being guided more by my brain than my heart. Again, motherhood changed all this. Nonetheless, I understand Bird. I feel his pain — present and future. I try to prevent him from making the mistakes I did, though I know this is asinine since the value is in him learning for himself. But still… Bird has always been fiercely smart and intuitive. He shocks me daily with his insights and observations, sometimes too much for a little boy to have to weigh. His first full sentence was “What’s that?” and the curiosity has not stopped.
I’ve shared some photos to give you a glimpse into the fabric of my firstborn. He’s a gem, I tell you.
Happy Birthday, Bird! I love you to the moon and back again.