Friday, August 02, 2013

Propulsion Part III

It is with entirely too much propulsion that we have approached the second birthday of our "Paugie Boy". I have reflected a great deal this week on the incredible person that this little man has been/is/is becoming. So full of (his own) perspective, assured in his opinions on every matter, passionate in his expression and consistently thoughtful - and all this behind those honey brown curls and sparkling eyes.

This spectacular person touches the heart of everyone he knows or meets. His extraordinary attention to detail(s) gives him insight into the emotions/feelings of others and he cares deeply about other people (starting with his brothers), which is something I know to be unique. He is often misunderstood, usually because his verbal communication has been misunderstood, but often because his reasoning is (simply) complicated. His frustrations often make perfect sense if we take the time to understand them/hear him out. And sometimes they are simply the rants of a 2 year old with a will of iron. :-)

This boy adores his brothers! This morning when he saw Lochlan, he ran to him, wrapped his arms around him in a rough smother and kissed him abruptly on his face. Lochlan has grown accustomed to these "tender" moments, and his whole face breaks into a happy grin. Declan looks to Madigan for many cues, though, being the independent thinker that he is, he is highly motivated to branch into his own fields of exploration/experimentation. When given a direct admonishment/order, he creatively works the possible angles available to him and certainly is disinclined to acquiesce to any particular request without first exploring alternative options. 

A WWII veteran (according to the cap he was wearing) was standing in line behind me at Costco last week and Declan started talking to him. The mostly-deaf hero was clearly enjoying every minute of the interaction and when he looked at me, his eyes had small tears. He said, "that is a very happy boy right there. His whole face says so." When I thanked the veteran for his service, Declan chimed in, "Hee hee!" When I translated Declan's sentiment to our new friend, I could tell that a not-quite-2-year-old boy had left his mark on the heart of an old soldier.

I thank my God, daily, for this marvelous person who has shown me the beauty of tender affection, quiet moments of just being together (with a cup of warm milk and favorite blanket, of course), and heartfelt joy in the "little things". I know the past 2 years are reflective of what is to come as this little man becomes all that he is destined to be... and that brings me great delight.











 



2 comments:

teona said...

Declan is truly a tender soul. He certainly grabbed my heart and will always have a special place there.
I love you little man.......
Aunt T

Lisa said...

Miss dat boy!