Weekend Journal

I lined up the soles of Jonah's Payless sneakers and my New Balance sneakers and realized for the first time, that they were the same size. A boy's 4-1/2 is the same size as a women's size 7. That punk kid, eight years old, has the same size foot as me.

I showed Jonah, and his eyes grew wide. I reminded him that he spent nine months in my stomach and that he had no business growing any bigger.

My boy is becoming his own person. We're trying to round out some rough edges, like getting him to remember to write down his homework assignments and learning how to deal with the mean kids who won't let him play football with them at lunchtime. But Jonah's personality is what it is. If I squint, I get glimpses of who'll be in ten years.

I'm ridiculously proud of my kid. He has a lot going for him - he's smart, cute, earnest. But most of all, Jonah is kind.

He puts up with a little brother who's picks apart his Lego creations if they aren't put on the highest shelf of the bookcase. He holds his new nephew with pride and comes up with life lessons that he'll teach the baby when he's older. A neighbor mom asked Jonah if he would sit with her five year old on the bus, because he was afraid to sit alone. The principal asked Jonah if he would stand on line next to a boy who was getting bullied by the bigger kids. He's gentle with his girlie cousins. When I'm tired, he notices.

I think that as his shoe sizes expands further and puberty comes with all its distortions and exaggerations, he'll take that kindness with him.

I'm ridiculously proud of my kid.

Comments

[Allison]

Awwwww!

[WendyW]

Jonah sounds so sweet. I wish Sophie were so patient.

[laura]

I wish Jonah wouldn't wear his underwear and socks three days in a row.

[MH]

Three days in the winter isn't bad. Just gives them a "lived in" feel. Plus, less laundry to do.

[Oonae]

Well done! He sounds great.

[laura]

An added plus of three day old socks - they retain their shape after you take your foot out.

[Liz Ditz]

There's something really special about boys that age -- my stepsons were 8 & 10 when their sister was born. I have a misty-eyed memory of them spending hours teaching her how to crawl down the steps.

[bj]

My son (4 years old) has an "assistant" coach at a sports class that he takes who seems kind and sweet and tender, and yet very "masculine", like your Jonah. My son adores the "coach" (who is the adult coach's son) and everyone agrees that the boy is modeling all the great characteristics of the father. They're great role models. One of my greatest hopes for the gender revolution is that it allow both boys and girls (and men and woman) to express all of their sides.

Patience is not a virtue strongly expressed by any of the members of my own family, even when we try (most recently evidenced by my daughter trying to teach the 4 yo to read by saying "B - U - S" louder and louder in the hopes that he'd *obviously* get that was bus). So, we appreciate those skills all that much more.