Thankful Thursday--Birthday Boy

Ten years ago tonight I went to bed as usual, only to wake up at 1 a.m. in labor. 36 hours later, I was a mother. (That sounds so deceptively simple...but I'll spare you the agonizing details. ;-)) William Peter was born weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz. and measuring 21 3/4 inches. The first thing I was thankful for was that he wasn't as large as the doctor had predicted (over 10 pounds! Ack!!)

So...for today's Thankful Thursday post, I thought I'd spend a bit of time reflecting on a few of the things I'm thankful for about this boy of mine....my oldest child and only boy.

I am thankful for Peter's sensitive heart. From the time he was very young, he has had a special sensitivity for older people and those who are hurting. He hurts with and for people and has a strong desire to help those in need. We recently had a homeless man take up residence across the side street from our house for a few days(which is another blog post entirely...his leave-taking last week is definitely another reason to be thankful!), and it was all I could do to keep Peter from feeding him everything in our kitchen. I am thankful for his thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

I'm thankful for his creativity. No matter what else is happening, his hands are always busy. He loves to draw and to create things...and he is *good* at both. He is one of those for whom it comes naturally to make something totally unexpected out of almost nothing. It's fun to watch his mind and hands at work...you never know what he is going to come up with next. :)

I'm thankful for his love of people. We struggle with this sometimes...because Peter never meets a stranger. If he has laid eyes on you...you are a friend. He loves people of all ages, and it doesn't bother him one bit to tell you that some of his best friends are boys half his age, and adults older than his grandparents. He has a special heart for older people...and I am so thankful for that.

I'm thankful he is all boy. He loves dirt, bugs, reptiles, and weapons of all kinds. He may live in a houseful of sisters, but his boyish influence is easy to spot throughout the house. He has proven what I have said for years...anyone who says boys and girls are basically alike has never lived in the house with both. When he was about 8, he and the girls were playing with Polly Pockets one day. "Oh, how sweet," someone might say. Well...not exactly. He proudly came in to show me that Polly Pocket was now "Sniper Polly Pocket" thanks to the automatic rifle she had borrowed from a Corps guy that was now strapped onto her back with an elastic ponytail holder. Only minutes later he was back, with the new, improved "Parachuting Sniper Polly Pocket". Boys *will* be boys...even with their sisters' toys!

I'm thankful he is protective of his sisters. They do their share of fussing (sometimes more than others), but he is the first to come to their defense, and he lives up to the meaning of his (unused) first name..."Strong Protector".

I'm thankful for his love for Jesus. He has such a heart for inviting people to church, and he loves to hand out tracts...in the grocery store, to the neighbors, wherever. He struggles with being scared sometimes...but he is determined...and his loving obedience in this area convicts and challenges his mother.

I am thankful for the gift of this boy of ours...thankful for the (almost) 10 years we've had with him, and thankful for the blessing of being able to nurture and teach him and watch him grow.





















To see what others are thankful for today, visit Laurel Wreath's Reflections.