House on the Rock

If you ever watch my son, there are a few things you must know. I don’t mean simple scheduling / what to do / where to go. It’s not a list of screen time limits / feeding rules / nap routines. I’m talking about the important things you need to really know — the secret hacks made to not merely preserve his little life, but to fill it with abundant joy as he watches days go by.

From the moment he wakes, he’ll want to be near a mower / see people mowing / watching you mow. Take him on a walk and watch the push mowers / riding mowers / weed wackers go. Mimic his awe as you watch the grass shrink and don’t worry about what the neighbors might think. They’re used to him by now.

He’ll take an hour to eat a peach, if you permit. You’ll be baffled how slowly he gets to the pit. Why rush him? He’ll have many years to scarf down lunch in his time. He might offer you a part of the gnawed-on mesocarp, but you have my full permission to decline.

You’ll read the same books over and over. Allow time for animal noises / singsongy voices / finding the mouse throughout Goodnight, Moon. He may get up and leave only three pages in or he may ask you to read it again and again. Sit back and enjoy the story being told as you watch it — through one-year-old eyes — unfold.

He’ll bring you every picture of our family he’s seen. He’ll point out Mama / Dada / Grandpa / and Beans. Don’t be afraid to point to my mom / tell him how she would love him / carry her memory on. You can mention her smile / her humor / her eyes / that she lives with the One who breathes galaxies in skies.

Pray with him often: before meals / before bed / when he’s scared / when he’s sad / when he bruises his head. Remind him that he can pray anywhere as you recite the lines of Any Place, Any Prayer. Sprinkle the gospel whenever you can and pray that he’ll grow up a God-fearing man.

I know sleep schedules are there for a reason but if all you’re able to do in this season is sit on the porch / suck on a peach / remember that God’s love is not out of reach / make some cow noises / and read Goodnight, Moon, then thank you for watching him. I should be back soon.