School starts soon. I am elated. He is ecstatic. Together, we can't wait to start this new chapter of my young son's life - first grade. While I'm sure our motives are different, we are both equally enthusiatic about finding the perfect bookbag for Mrs. Custard's class. While on our quest, we stroll through Kohls, looking through the toy section and clothes aisle. My son spots the bags first. "Mom over here!" He runs to a row of bookbags and is overcome with emotion at the large selection of every cartoon character on the Nickelodeon channel. He cannot decide between Phineas and Ferb and Super Mario. We settle on Super Mario.... and he trots off excited about his new find. "Mom, this is the best bookbag ever!"
Lately my son is commenting on everything. Every emotion, thought, and wonder is expressed out loud and waits a response. We look through picture frames, and he is pointing out all the words he can read. I wander off to another row, and he comes over to me with a picture frame. "Mom. Look. This would be good for dad. "The picture frame has a caption on the bottom: "Dad's little hero." "Yes, it would son." Encouraged, he hops over to another aisle. "Mom, look. This is a nice one. You should get this." The frame reads, "Little Angel." "Hmmm" is my only response. I am not paying too much attention looking over my own selections. He disappears and reappears for a third time. "Mom." I'm calulating discounts and don't look up. Tyler is unfazed. "Mom, look at this one." "This is what life is all about," he says dramatically. I look up. He is standing there grinning ear to ear in that knowing look. The frame says simply, "Love." I'm speechlesss again. This little boy makes me speechless more times than I can count. "Yes, Tyler, you're right. That is what life is all about. How did you know that?" "Because, love makes people happy." He is unbelievable. I've always contended the kid is a walking commercial. But, he may be a walking prophet as well.
The night before at dinner, we taught Tyler different words for love, like the difference between romance and affection. We said romance is something that happens between two people who love each other but are not your sister or mother. Affection is what you have for the people you are related to. These basics had to covered, as he was getting them mixed up. We asked him if he understood the difference. He nodded assuredly and used his new vocabulary in a sentence to confirm his comprehension. "Mom and I have are having moments of infection!" Close enough.
I realize that my son has more basics covered about life than a lot of adults. He knows that life is all about love and everything worth living for in life revolves around love. This is why he lives life to the fullest - because he loves to the fullest.
Maybe this is why God said to us adults to come to him like children. Because children know how to love. They know how to express themselves and live life to the fullest. They know how to live in love. They know what life is all about. While he may need a lesson on the different definitions and variations of love, in his world, there is only one kind of love - the love that makes life worth living.
Ahhhhh!
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