From There to Here in 3 Short Years

There is just something magical about the first awareness of a birthday.

"It's my birthday! I going to be three! I so excited!!"

His wishes were simple:

new shoes for preschool

and a red backpack.

Daddy let him pick out his own birthday cake.

It had Winnie-the-Pooh on it and

sat in our refrigerator for a full 24 hours;

being checked on and pointed out every ten minutes.

"That's my birthday cake! I so excited!!"

He could hardly get to sleep:

"Tomorrow's my birthday! I so excited!!"

Our prayers included blessing Grammy and Papa

and Great Grandma and our birthday cake.

He literally jumped out of bed the next morning, arms flung wide:

"It's my birthday! I so excited!!"

He dressed himself in his big boy underwear,

light blue shirt and khaki shorts.

"I go church and Sunday School and sing music for my birthday! I so excited!!"

He skipped through the parking lot:

"I hear the music! I so excited!!"

After church services, everyone at Coffee Hour sang Happy Birthday...

he didn't realize it wasn't for him.

But he didn't care.

"It's my birthday!" he yelled when they finished. "I so excited!!"

We had pizza for lunch and too much cake and ice cream

and a visit from Rosie.

(They were both so excited!)

Then the five of us climbed into the car:

Mommy and Daddy

and two Big Sisters

and the super excited Birthday Boy.

And together we all went shopping

to look for new shoes for preschool

and a red backpack.

***

Boys are found everywhere --

on top of,

underneath,

inside of,

climbing on,

swinging from,

running around

or

jumping to.

Mothers love them,

little girls hate them,

older sisters and brothers tolerate them,

adults ignore them

 and Heaven protects them.

A boy is Truth with dirt on its face,

Beauty with a cut on its finger,

Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair

and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket.

A boy is a magical creature;

You can lock him out of your workshop,

but you can't lock him out of your heart.

You can get him out of your study,

but you can't get him out of your mind.

Might as well give up

he is your captor,

your jailer,

your boss

and your master;

a freckled-faced,

pint-sized,

cat-chasing bundle of noise.

But when you come home at night

with only the shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams,

he can mend them like new with two magic words:

Hi, Dad!

~ Alan Marshall Beck