Parenting Pain

Yesterday, my son read his birthday card aloud.

Soon, he'll be making money, then he won't need me any more for anything. That's how it feels anyway. I cannot imagine what it feels like when your kid comes right out and says such things (but I'll prolly hear them, eventually.)

It's one thing to own something out-moded, or to feel out of fashion or to be simply a bit rusty on something. It's another to be of no use.

I remember a similar chilling observation when my eldest son began verbalizing his thoughts. He was coming into his own. He was a free thinker, not some meat puppet kid I could manipulate. He had some unique ideas all his own that I was astonished by. I do not know how something so simple as autonomy was so surprising to me. Maybe because I realized, at least in ways, I was the Creator of this autonomous being, and the beastie was coming to possess his own thoughts.

Now the boy is becoming a reader, soon to select his own reading interests--last night he wanted to read from the dictionary together, he is so hungry for knowledge and vocabulary. This is both impressive and enjoyable. For one thing, he likes to process each word he can read, then discuss it, associate it with what he knows, ask for examples--generally let it roll around in his mouth a while. That's so cool! I am also thrilled, for he chooses the dictionary of his own volition. I did not even tell him about it until he sounded out the word on the spine and asked me what a dictionary was. We have a common interest, like some dads have fishing or NASCAR, only ours is wordsmithing. Finally, he asks me to do this with him, to find our way through the dark and into the light of the Word, together. I consider this a high honor.

This entire discussion reminds me of a great poem (one of many struck from our Lit book), Gjertrud Schnackenberg's "Supernatural Love." Check it out, for it resonates with thoughts on vocabulary building, parenting, and God's love.