Thankful Sunday, May 31, 2020

I am thankful for Theo.

Yesterday was Theo's birthday and that always takes me down a trip to memory lane when he was growing up.  I'm going to take you on a small part of that trip with me.

Theo entered the world early and at first seemed like a calm baby--at least calmer than his brother. He only cried several hours a day instead of all day. But as he gained mobility he was not so calm-he became nearly perpetual motion. We spent a good deal of our time trying to keep him safe and from tearing down the house. Never a dull moment. For example, even when we tried to lock the door of the fridge, he managed to open it. Playing with eggs was a favorite. Do you know how hard it is to clean up a dozen broken eggs? I do. Nearly impossible. And he was a climber from early on. He was just as likely to be on top of the refrigerator as opening it. But he never fell, even when he was learning to walk. A calculated risk taker one doctor called him. At the playground the other mothers would look at me disapprovingly as my toddler was on top of the swing set instead of swinging in a swing. But I had to chose my battles. As I said, he never fell.

He was curious and all the world was an experiment like the time he burned some of his toys in the fireplace (gas logs that he turned on while we were sleeping). He was only a preschooler at the time. When we hysterically yelled questioned him, he pointed out he wanted to see how they burned and he only used toys that he had two of. We didn't sleep well for a lot of years worrying about what he and his brother were into.

Also, Theo has always been a deep thinker. Many times he would think something through, then engage us in a conversation, and carefully lead us down a path to a gotcha at the end. Ward and I used to think we were pretty intelligent people until our preschooler kept outsmarting us. Not only was he thorough, he thought about the big issues, too. When he was five, he lamented about his place on earth and whether his life mattered in the grand scheme of things.  We weren't exactly equipped to handle those kinds of thoughts from our child at such an early age. But they kept coming.

As you can imagine when Theo entered school, it was not easy.  Hyperactivity, along with an active mind, didn't always work in the classroom. Some teachers loved him with the interesting thoughts and insights he brought to class. Others got upset when he asked a question or made a comment  because it often got the lesson off track. Not because it was off topic, but because it was beyond what the other kids could understand.  His deep thinking didn't stop just because he was in school now.

I don't think I need to describe the calls I got about him because he couldn't sit still. Eventually, we understood that was because of anxiety, but the teachers didn't care what was causing it. They just needed him to be still. It was hard for everyone--Theo, the teachers, and us. I think we were on speed dial with the principal and that is not something that we wanted, but we can smile about now.

However, Theo made it through school and I wish some of his teachers could see him today. I don't think they would believe the adult he's grown into. He is calm and measured, as well as a kind and  responsible person. Kids grow up. Thank goodness.

So for Theo and the wonderful, rich, and interesting life he has given us, I am thankful.