Six year old Lennox! What a joy it is to be your Dad. Watching you grow up is a treasure and I am starting to hit the stage where I feel like it’s happening too fast and I want you to stay young forever. This is sort of a first for me, because I feel I’ve spent most of my time thinking to myself how much more fun you will be when you get a bit older. You might be peaking at the fun level as long as you don’t ask me to do science outside. (Which involves putting dirt in water and getting super cold.)
Is that fair? Are Dad’s allowed to say that?
I got to take you to a Birthday party for one of your classmate’s this weekend and it was such a treat. Just observing you interact with your friends is an environment I don’t get to see very much. My heart was pleased to see you treat everyone with the kindness and respect I see each and every day. I hope your heart to keep everyone happy and included remains through your life. Compassion and empathy for others is such a powerful attribute to have, and maybe it makes me a little touched because I feel like your Dad is pretty good at those things too!
You are a bag of emotions and as those emotions get more complicated you become harder to parent. The challenge is fun, we had a talk on the way home from that party if I was embarrassing you as the whole party decided to run across the yard to try and tackle me. “I’m never embarrassed by my family.” Oh Lennox, I know there is a 0% chance you will feel that way when you are older, but I do hope you genuinely still like me and I somehow fit into the fun dad category.
Your talent as a big sister is apparent. Often giving up your needs to make sure Bennet is happy is something I see all the time. But when I saw it do it at the party as well, I was tickled to see your at-home abilities apply to all your social situations as well. I don’t have any words of wisdom besides don’t people please your way into not taking care of yourself! I’ve done that a time or two in my life, I imagine my advice is going to fall out deaf ears. Much like it does on mind when I am told the same thing.
Lennox keep being awesome! I don’t know what the future has in store for you. But let me share one final story from this year of you growing up:
September 22nd 2023:
You are awake at midnight for some reason and can’t sleep, this is very unusual. We are sitting on the couch as I am trying to goad you into getting sleepy again. We are talking and suddenly you start asking about God. I ask if you have asked Jesus into her heart. You says no. We pray together in a repeat after me style. Nothing fancy, just the basics. Afterword you say you feel like you can hear God saying “keep going keep going!” And you start to sing “God you are my Father, Jesus Christ my Friend, Holy Spirit to help me on wayyyyyy”. I mentions angels are in heaven throwing a party for her. You contemplate. “How do you know?”
…silence for a while…
“Hmm, maybe they are. I’m sleepy now Daddy let’s get back to bed.”
Gamenotes 