Five years ago, when my eldest child started 8th grade, her lovely teacher sent an email to all the parents asking them to write a few paragraphs with any information that would help her better understand her students. I loved the idea of writing about my gal, so I got to work (you can read about my eldest here). When my second child was in 8th grade, I decided to do the same thing for him (you can read what I wrote about him here). And now, you guessed it - by some freakishly fast passage of time, my third child is about to graduate from 8th grade, so I want to reflect a bit about him now. Below, you'll find a few thoughts about our monkey in the middle.
Our sweet son was born 9 weeks early, almost two months to the date before his due date. It was a tumultuous time (you can read about his birth here) for our family, but we were overjoyed at his arrival. After 7 weeks in the NICU, we were able to bring our baby home to his big brother and sister. His first year of life was challenging, but he was a fighter and he pulled through all the challenges.
Isaac's name means laughter, and we couldn't have picked a better name for this child. He is almost always happy and laughing, joking or smiling. He is friends with everyone, and recently I've really noticed how good he is with younger kids. He loves life and has always had scads of interests spanning cooking to learning a language to every sport imaginable. He is always fun to be around and makes me smile all the time (even during these challenging middle school years).
When he was little, he LOVED my hair. He was obsessed with it. He loved his own hair too, and if mine wasn't available, he would twirl his own hair whenever he could. But he loved mine the most and would happily twirl and twist it as long as I would let him. It was his security blanket, and I was a little sorry when he outgrew it. I offer my hair to him now and then (don't judge me) but alas, he is not interested. :( You can read about his love of hair here and here).
This boy loves any and all sports. His second birthday party theme was all about sports, because the boy loved to play ball. Currently he's mostly into basketball and lacrosse, but since he could walk, he's loved them all -- soccer, gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, tennis, swimming, baseball, tubing, track and cross country. We have loved how active he has always been, and that he's ready to try anything new anytime.
Isaac is resilient. He's been through a lot over the course of his nearly fifteen years, and he always faces each challenge with a smile and a can-do attitude. He inspires me with his positive attitude, and I am so thankful that God graced him with such a go-with-the-flow personality. He loves hospitals and hospital beds and hospital food, and is always up for a hospital stay! He makes the nurses and doctors smile whenever he interacts with them.
He wants to be a nurse when he grows up. He has been so touched and supported by nurses that he wants to become one and work in a pediatric hospital. I think he'd be a wonderful nurse (or pastor or youth church worker!) and I hope he continues to pursue a passion with children or people in general. If he doesn't become a nurse, his other option is the MLL (Major League Lacrosse). He's nothing if not optimistic!
I'm having a hard time imagining him leaving our grade school and moving onto high school. I so love seeing him in the hallway with the friends he's known since he was in preschool (or earlier in some cases!). It's inconceivable (I hope you heard that in your best Princess Bride impression) that the time has come for him to leave and move on, but come it has. And he's ready. It's bittersweet for him and he'll miss his class very much, but he's ready for the next step. And since he's ready, I must be too. He'll love his four years in high school I have no doubt, and I'll quickly love those years with him too.
Over the last fifteen years, this boy has continued to amaze and inspire me. His ever-present smile, even during adversity, always warms my heart. God has already blessed him mightily, and I am looking forward to see what He has planned for him next. I know it'll be good.
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