63 Months

(photo courtesy of Rick G. Munoz)

Lucas has become our telephone operator, answering the phone as much as he can. It's cute watching him bolt to grab the handset before either Xtimu or I can react fast enough to cut him off. I don't mind really because half the time the phone rings I'd rather not get up and answer the damn thing anyway. It's easier for me to sit right where I am and let Lucas bring the phone over once he tires of the conversation with whomever happened to call us.

And sometimes that person is me. When I call the house while I'm out and about, Lucas will pick up with sharp and eager "HELLO". It always makes me chuckle because the sound of his voice is never the one that I expect to hear. Not because I don't expect him to pick up the phone but because it's a completely different experience talking to him as a disembodied voice than when I normally communicate with him in person. So often, it seems like we give Lucas greater significance to his mannerisms and personality, mostly in the sense that he carries himself as an older person. He's still a kid, and there are definitely times when he reverts into infantile behavior, but most of the time he expresses himself so thoughtfully and uniquely that I forget how young he actually is.

63 Months, that's five years and three months old. If you asked me how old I feel he is with regard to temperament, I'd have to say that he's got to be almost six. He makes all of these expressions that give the impression of a maturity beyond his years. Yeah, maybe he's just mimicking what he sees around him but he usually gets it right and I've seen adults fail completely when trying to do the same thing. He's such a wise old owl and doesn't mind letting you know all of the wonderful knowledge that is swirling around in his brain. Half the time it's completely made up from partial and conspicuous reasoning but if you weren't aware that the words hitting your ears were BS, then you might actually believe the little guy. He sure sounds like he knows what he's talking about and people believe a lot of bullshit that others spew from their pulpits without a second thought. But what I love about Lucas is that he has the confidence to use his imagination and share it with you. I want to encourage that more, so I always try to respond with an eager smile on my face.

And listening to him on the phone brings a smile to my face as well. He's such a little kid and it fully comes out when he laughs and jabs at you over the line. His voice is so tiny. It's like a sweet tomorrow. It's hopeful and lovable. It's so cuddly that you want to reach right through the phone and hug that little boy as much as possible. Sometimes it's wonderful to remember why you became a parent. Those children that you gave to the world need your love. They need you to embrace them and hold them and let them know that it's okay to forget all your troubles and wallow in the sweet innocence of childhood. Don't we all like to do that some of the time anyway, no matter how old we are?