One of the cruelties of teaching is that my students stay the same age and I keep getting older and older. When I first started teaching, my students were 18 and I was 25, now my students are still 18 and I am 40. At this rate I’m going to lap them.
At home, too, I keep growing older, and Errol pretty much stays the same. Although he’s officially “3”, Errol is developmentally about 8 or 9 months old. (We shop in the kids section for clothes, and the newborn section for toys.) And at his rate of developmental growth, I think we’ll always have a child in the house.
There are many wonderful things about children (they love to play, they are full of wonder, and they work for cheap wages), but most of the time, you do hope they grow up. And even though Errol’s brother Owen has hit a marvelous age (at 5 ½ Owen is sweet, innocent, independent, excited, and sober enough to drive Daddy home from the bar) we can’t wait to meet the wonderful adult Owen.
People talk about the freedom they will have when their kids leave the nest, but we don’t anticipate ever having that freedom. Owen has already lived one third of his childhood years with us, and before we know it he will go off to college, join the military, or take a job in the circus. Errol bird will most likely live his whole life with us. And although it’s hard having a permanent and extra-large baby (diapers!!!!!!!), Errol is one of the great joys of our lives (uh-oh!!!!!!!) and we hope he will be with us for a long, long time.
1 comment:
While she's not my child, I care for my sister who was in a car wreck 21 years ago. Since then she's become child-like in many ways (needs help with feeding, tolieting, etc.) The best parts of are her unsinkable spirit and wit that just refuses to be edited. I've always been aware of the bittersweet emotions that I experience with her and sometimes can deal, sometimes have to walk away to either curse or cry in a corner. One thing is certain, my love for her is unconditional. However, being human has downsides and I often find the burden of this love overwhelming. I hope that you, Carrie, Owen and Errol are able to find time and the avenues to refresh your spirit. How lucky you are to have each other. Love, Katherine Foster
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