I am quite certain, were Jesse offered the chance to go to Disneyland – all its glories described in detail – or to stay here and help his dad fix a broken part on the washing machine, the washing machine would win out.
“I wonder what you’re going to do when you grow up, Jesse,” I mused the other day. “I wonder how you’ll use your smart little brain.”
His response was a sigh of, “ I just want to take a washing machine and an oven apart.”
Those are his grand aspirations.
And, its nice to think that he might wow the world some day. It’s nice to think that this exhausting childhood of things taken apart and curiosities seldom satisfied will run its course. That it will culminate in . . . my son, builder of rocket ships. Or . . . my son . . . inventor of intricate, life-saving medical devices (“How’s Jesse you ask? Oh, he’s doing well. You knew already that he won the Nobel Prize in 2043, and now he’s just working for NASA, and doing a little research for the Mayo Clinic on the side. Nothing fancy. Just the usual.”)
But if, instead, he simply realizes his current aspirations – if he fixes washing machines with the best of them; if he never meets a broken sprinkler part he can’t conquer, or an electrical situation his wits aren’t a match for?
Well, that will be pretty grand too.
Turns out my highest admiration, my deepest respect, my most loyal ties, and my strongest affections are given quite independent of grand achievements and laudable accomplishments.
So, plug along, little man. Fix brake pads, seal leaky faucets, or go ahead and win a Nobel Prize. Those things will all only be additions – little pluses – to the wonder that is already you.
And . . . drumroll . . . (or, actually, probably the very opposite of drumroll) . . . pictures off the cell phone from the last month:
3 comments:
I love this post so much. What a sweet boy, what a sweet mom.
For some reason, it reminded me a bit of this post from a friend of mine: http://scenesfromthewild.blogspot.com/2009/05/just-show-up.html
Just a warning, if you aren't into crying don't read it.
And yes, all they truly had to do was show up.
Oh! Thank you for sharing that, Linn. It was beautiful (and heart wrenching), and yes, exactly what I was feeling when I wrote this. If my kids do brag worthy things all the live long day, well, I am glad, and hooray; but my love for them has nothing at all to do with those things.
Fantastic post. Remember when just recently my dryer was broken and you told Jesse I wanted him to come fix it. Too bad he couldn't come because I had to but a new one. I love that boy. What fun it will be to see what he does and where he goes.
I love all the phone pics, too, for a taste of the month.
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