there was an evening near the end of my college days when i was sitting in a bar, waiting for a rock show to start, sipping on my amaretto sour. i was at a table full of friends, wanting to say so many things to all of them, tripping over all of our words because there was so much to fit in. the evening was a blur, but i remember the feeling in my stomach: utter contentment. i was happy to see every person that walked by and stopped to share a hug or a kiss. i thought, "this is quite easily the most popular i will ever be and that is totally okay. i'm just going to revel in it."
sitting at the coffee shop last thursday on the twenty three monthaversary of your birth, i had that same tumble in my stomach. this beautiful big kid, that sam and i created from scratch and love, is absolutely delighted to see everyone that crosses his path in the day. and because of you, silas lee, so very many people are having a better day.
you give kelly hugs in appreciation for making your smoothie, laugh with sarah while hauling twigs in your dump truck, wave and yell hello to tiger while he takes another cigarette break, climb up into aymie's lap and help her count out the cash drawer, give kerry a kiss to take home to theo. and all in the first three hours of your day. you are exhausting and you are totally worth it.
this month you have changed every day. your papa notices it, i notice it. you say ten new words a day - string together almost full sentences, makes jumps in logic and memory that make us shake our heads in disbelief.
but when i grab you by the waist and pull you into my lap and bury my face in your neck, i am completely awash in your humanity. you started so much smaller & bobblier and now you are strong & funny. you are a complete person and one day, sooner than i'd like to admit, you'll have more important things to do than leisurely passing the morning splitting a lox bagel with your mama.
so bear with us, stinky, as your papa and i try to keep up. keep up with all the growing, talking, chopping, jumping, bargaining, apple eating, climbing, knocking down, and running. oh my god, the running.
but when we finally "catch up" to you it is the best giggle ever. then it is almost as if thanks to all that running we are on to the next great discovery even sooner. a stick that must be gathered, a rock perfect for throwing, a puddle that needs to be splashed or a maple tree airplane ready for take off.
you have brought out the best in us, silas lee. and if you would have known your papa and me before we met you, you would have deemed that a pretty challenging task. thanks, big kid, for taking us on and letting us revel in it.
