I'm not exactly sure how it started... I mentioned something about the future and I must have said something about his own house... or being away from us... I really can't say. All I know is that it took explanation and I said "You know... when you don't live with us anymore."
Two seconds to process aaaaand...
Red splotchy patches rose all over his mortified face. "You mean I won't live with you?!? But I wanted to live with you forever!" Bitter tears fell and he sought to hide his injured heart by burrowing his head into the pillow at his side.
Oh no! Oh no! I accidentally broke my little boy's heart! He really had never thought about this before?!? What?!? This can't be! He's so smart!
I tried and tried to pry him away from the pillow. It was not to be done. This painful realization was too great a sorrow for an easy fix. I rubbed his back and said "Jack, let me explain. Please let me explain. It's not like you think sweetie. It's going to be just fine!" A few more minutes of patient coaxing and he reluctantly forfeited the pillow and sat on my lap.
"Jack... someday you won't want to live here anymore."
WRONGO... more tears... try another angle...
"Jack you are going to live with us for a very, very long time. Do you know when you will leave our house for the first time?"
"No."
No tears... this is better...
"Well Jack, it's your mission! Do you remember where Daddy got to go on his mission?"
"Brazil."
"That's right! And he absolutely loved it! He got to eat new food, and meet new people, and see lots of beautiful places! You are five years old. That means you still have 14 more looong years of living here and then you get to go somewhere brand new and eat new food, and meet new people and see lots of beautiful places. You are going to love it! You always talk about how you want to travel the world, and all the places you want to see!"
The look on his face is slightly encouraged, but some thought in his head sets it off again and he's around my neck with fresh tears.
"Jack, let me tell you what my mom told me. She told me that her home was always my home. That no matter where I went in the world, I could always come home to her. There was always a place for me in her home. I promise you the same thing. No matter where you go, you can always come back. You will always, always, always have a home with me and daddy. That will never change. Do you believe me?"
"Yes."
I can't see his face, but I can feel it in his hug: the worst of it is over.
From there we proceeded to talk more about Daddy...his mission... moving to Utah and meeting me... wanting his own home even though he still loved his mommy and daddy very much... how we visit all the time and are still part of their life... you know...that kind of thing.
I promise him that someday he will want to leave, and that I will be the one in tears because I will always, always want him with me.
He was fine after that, but still clung with arms and legs wrapped around me when daddy came to collect him for his interview. It took some pulling, persuasion, and tickles to get him off... but dad won in the end and off they went.
What a sweet, sweet little boy. If only he knew how much we dread the day he will go. "14 more looong years," what a liar I am. He clapped laying down in his bed tonight after I read him a bedtime story because "that was a really good one mom."
Oh what a short time 14 years is!
For another Sad and Sweet Story from when Jack was 3 click HERE.
Two seconds to process aaaaand...
Red splotchy patches rose all over his mortified face. "You mean I won't live with you?!? But I wanted to live with you forever!" Bitter tears fell and he sought to hide his injured heart by burrowing his head into the pillow at his side.
Oh no! Oh no! I accidentally broke my little boy's heart! He really had never thought about this before?!? What?!? This can't be! He's so smart!
I tried and tried to pry him away from the pillow. It was not to be done. This painful realization was too great a sorrow for an easy fix. I rubbed his back and said "Jack, let me explain. Please let me explain. It's not like you think sweetie. It's going to be just fine!" A few more minutes of patient coaxing and he reluctantly forfeited the pillow and sat on my lap.
"Jack... someday you won't want to live here anymore."
WRONGO... more tears... try another angle...
"Jack you are going to live with us for a very, very long time. Do you know when you will leave our house for the first time?"
"No."
No tears... this is better...
"Well Jack, it's your mission! Do you remember where Daddy got to go on his mission?"
"Brazil."
"That's right! And he absolutely loved it! He got to eat new food, and meet new people, and see lots of beautiful places! You are five years old. That means you still have 14 more looong years of living here and then you get to go somewhere brand new and eat new food, and meet new people and see lots of beautiful places. You are going to love it! You always talk about how you want to travel the world, and all the places you want to see!"
The look on his face is slightly encouraged, but some thought in his head sets it off again and he's around my neck with fresh tears.
"Jack, let me tell you what my mom told me. She told me that her home was always my home. That no matter where I went in the world, I could always come home to her. There was always a place for me in her home. I promise you the same thing. No matter where you go, you can always come back. You will always, always, always have a home with me and daddy. That will never change. Do you believe me?"
"Yes."
I can't see his face, but I can feel it in his hug: the worst of it is over.
From there we proceeded to talk more about Daddy...his mission... moving to Utah and meeting me... wanting his own home even though he still loved his mommy and daddy very much... how we visit all the time and are still part of their life... you know...that kind of thing.
I promise him that someday he will want to leave, and that I will be the one in tears because I will always, always want him with me.
He was fine after that, but still clung with arms and legs wrapped around me when daddy came to collect him for his interview. It took some pulling, persuasion, and tickles to get him off... but dad won in the end and off they went.
What a sweet, sweet little boy. If only he knew how much we dread the day he will go. "14 more looong years," what a liar I am. He clapped laying down in his bed tonight after I read him a bedtime story because "that was a really good one mom."
Oh what a short time 14 years is!
For another Sad and Sweet Story from when Jack was 3 click HERE.
5 comments:
As bad as this sounds, I would love for Parker to shed a few tears over leaving home; he's gung ho about it. At least though, he's said that he'll come visit; and a couple of times he said that he and his lady will just live here, but that was short lived. ;)
Cute, CUTE story.
That's so sweet! What a great little boy!
That is soooo true, time flies by...I can't believe Mitch is almost 14! What a sweet little guy!! You know you are well loved.
I love this story. Jack's such a sweet and smart kiddo. I love the promise you passed on to him, that you and Corey will always be his home and he can always return to you. "Wrongo"--I laughed at that one. I too often find myself thinking, "Boy, I thought he'd be comforted by/love that idea . . . and 'wrongo'!" Tell me about Corey's interviews . . . that sounds like a great idea.
I still tell my big boys they can come home and live with me- my friends think I am crazy, but I miss them!
It does go too fast!
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