Not so Fast!

This past Saturday, (21 January, 2012) we celebrated your second birthday. A small group of your friends came to the house and you all ran around, laughing and screaming, unaware of anything else in the world except the toy or friend you were playing with, the chicken nugget or cupcake you were eating. It was so much fun to watch, your Mommy and I couldn't believe it!

This afternoon (Monday, 23 January, 2012) I ran into an old friend at work. When I say old, I mean I've known him a long time, and that he just celebrated his 75th birthday. I joked with Al that he should finally give up the ghost and retire like he's been threatening to do, literally, since I met him. After 20 plus years in the Army and 24 with the Agency, he deserves to rest and enjoy his time however he pleases. Al laughed and told me he really might finally do it. Then he told me about the headlong collision his wife was in a few months ago which landed her in the hospital, and his newly developed congestive heart failure, which takes his wind away just from walking a flight of stairs.

After Al and I talked, all I could think of is how much you enjoy being two, how much Al struggles with being 75, and the ridiculously short distance between you. I know you can't really appreciate time yet, but you'll learn to soon enough. And I have something I want you to do in the meantime, as if what I want has any bearing on anything.

I want you to enjoy being two. I want you to stop trying so hard to grow up, to do everything for yourself, to be like Mommy and Daddy. You don't know it yet, but we're not alway so great. Instead, enjoy your toys, your nuggets, your cupcakes. Enjoy being babied and cuddled and watching the same episode of The Muppet Show for the 84th time. And most importantly, enjoy those friends. I promise they will be the only thing you have worth anything by the time your Al's age, which will be sooner than you can imagine.