Thankful Sunday, April 5, 2020

I am thankful for Wally.

Of course, I am thankful for all of my family, but today is Wally's birthday, so he gets a special shout out.

Wally is an adult now, but it in some ways, it seems like it was only yesterday when he joined our family. He was born in New Orleans after a complicated trip to the hospital and a confusing labor. He had a full head of dark hair and was the sweetest and calmest baby--for about 24 hours. Then our world changed. He slept little, ate voraciously, and cried most of the time inbetween. He still eats a lot and sleeps little. Thank goodness the crying finally died down.



As time progressed, he grew into a very active and curious boy who liked to see how things worked. One time, when he was three, Wally took apart Theo's crib when both of them were supposedly taking a nap. Luckily, no one was hurt as the bed collapsed around his brother. Another time, he took the bathroom door off it's hinges. He, also, loved to build things. Unfortunately, it never seemed to be anything he took apart.

Wally thinks about people and what makes them happy. When he was four, he asked us if poor people were happy. That was a hard one to explain to a four year old. As he grew older, he seemed to have a special appreciation for the senior population. Everyone on both sides of the family was especially thankful for the help he gave his grandparents while they were learning to use computers. He was patient, clear and never got frustrated. He showed these same abilities when he worked as a pharmacy tech when he was first out of school.

Growing up, Wally loved being outdoors and never met a stick or rock he didn't like. That was a perfect fit for Boy Scouts and he eventually became an Eagle Scout. As is his nature, he took his oath very seriously and tried to live up to it. Except when he didn't, because after all he is human. But I won't go into that right now.

Now as an adult, Wally is an independent, productive member of society who tells me not only is he happy, he is content. What more could a parent ask for? Nothing.

Happy Birthday, Wally!