A few days after my wife Jan and I returned to
Most of it was addressed to Jan, but there was a portion that was written to me: “Jer, the last bunch of pictures that were sent, there is a brown-hued one where you’re looking at Noah.”
“A stranger could tell the awesome love you have for him. He’s beautiful, outgoing, smart and a coffee drinker.” [That’s an altogether separate subject]. She finished, “He doesn’t strike me as though he’ll be one of those kids who are snobby, or take inventory, so to speak.”
I had to pause after I read the note. As I reflected on it, I concluded Jodi was correct, and very thoughtful and kind to share like that.
When Noah is awake (at 20 months, he sleeps through the night, and takes a long nap each day), he is a study in childlike industry and curiosity. Sports, books, food, playtime with toys, Elmo, the video “Seasons of Love” from the play “Rent,” a silly dance called Tootie Ta, and everything else within his range of possible experience – it is his domain.
And he grasps it gently, as if it’s precious, and he learns what he likes. And he remembers. God, he remembers. I cannot be in the house for more than a minute before hearing his suggestion to me to “Jump!” And we jump.
Yesterday, my laptop was on the dining room table in his home, and he was trying to get to it. He uses the words “booter” for computer and “boose” for mouse. I sat him on my lap and we played with it together for a short while.
Later, I noticed that he had climbed onto a sort of platform in the center of the tall dining room table. He was trying to move from the platform to a tall chair a few inches above and away from him, to reach the computer. The tabletop was partly in the way of his ascent.
It looked horribly dangerous – a hard fall and a violent smack on his chin was what I briefly envisioned, and I took him out of harm’s way. His father said later that he has begun to do it all the time.
Jodi’s comment about Noah’s not being snobby resonated with me. We tried hard when we raised our own children to take pride in themselves, and to behave in the right way, but at the same time to recognize we’re all God’s creatures, and to act toward everyone in a respectful way.
Watching my children as they grew up, and even today, it looks as if the lesson took. And it’s beginning to take root in Noah, in whom I am well pleased. Happy New Year, Noah.
Below is a link to a video of Noah's Christmas morning. Surrounded by gifts, he prefers to serve up warms cans of Coca-Cola, and runs across the family room, torn wrapping paper streaming behind him:
Jerry LaVaute is a special writer for Heritage Newspapers. He can be reached at glavaute@gmail.com or call 1-734-740-0062.
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