Your arrival came much quicker than I expected. But then again, I wasn’t the one carrying you...your mom probably feels a little differently about it. I really didn’t expect the 9 months to go quite so fast. Then all of a sudden, you were here. Amazing strength, vitality, fingers, toes, the chubbiest cheeks yet in a long line of chubby cheeked Smith kids, and as Ella called it, “a funny little mitten”... hadn’t seen that in the Smith babies yet.
The first time you opened those massive blues, you reminded me, in one split second, why it was I wanted to become a father. To raise Warrior Priests. Just like your sisters, you share some part of that meaning in your name. And I still pray daily that you live up to that.
But all that’s not why I’m writing.
We have to talk.
Man to man.
Remember when I said you arrived much quicker than I expected? Well, the speed of your arrival is a mere snail’s pace compared to the gallop you’ve taken to get to one year old.
Why?
Is there some great event for one year olds no one’s told me about that you just can’t wait to get to? Do you expect to be able to continue this pace through childhood? Pre-school will still be around. The little girls in elementary school will still giggle when you walk past in a few years the way they coo over you now...don’t sweat it. And I saw how you did a Heisman Trophy style stiff-arm to that puppy the other day that ran straight toward you to play...I assure you football will still be around when you get to high school, don’t rush it. And if you’re trying to speed through your early years in order to get to the college scene, we talked about this: if you’re going to go Ivy League, you gotta keep practicing your flash cards because the word list you’re supposed to know when you take your SAT’s and entrance exams is hard. And as for marriage, it’s like a fine painting. You can’t rush art. If it’s going to be a marriage as beautiful as you see in your mom and me, it’s going to take loads of time. And you have to paint it with a very small brush...so let’s slow it down so Mom and I can show you how to paint in the right kind of love. While we’re on the subject, it’s going to take me some time to figure out how to let some sweet girl steal the attention you’re supposed to be giving to beating off the guys coming around to visit your sisters. Remember, we talked about this too.
It all takes time. Slow it down. Time. Slow. Pace yourself.
This first year just went by way too fast and I can’t bear to think of the next few doing the same.
We have to learn so many things together. The life of Jesus. Music. Baseball. Fishing. Techie nerd stuff. It’s all so fun. Don’t rush through too fast...I don’t want to miss seeing your face as you learn them.
All I’m saying is, Happy Birthday, Buddy. But don’t let the next one come so soon.
Dad
This is beautiful, Chad. I know what you mean, I can't believe Lily is already five years old. Her first year came so quickly and now here we are, so much later and so much older and wiser to the ways of children. Life couldn't go any slower when I was a teenager but now that I'm an adult with an eventual teen of my own, I can't help but hope it stops rushing by me at the speed of light.
ReplyDeleteYour little man is handsome and your ladies are incredibly beautiful. You and Annette do excellent work :-) I love you guys.
Amie.