My Kid Talks to God
He surprises me.
He’s a happy-go-lucky little boy that lives in the now. And the now is usually happy. Except when it’s not.
Fortunately, a return to happy is but a tickle away. His days are filled with smiles and laughter, intents typically on nothing more than sharing that joy.He is not the least concerned with detail. He’s yet to hold a crayola correctly or for that matter, a fork. Lines do not intimidate him and he will color beyond their restrictive borders without fear. An illegible scribble is a masterpiece and deserves to be hung in places of prominence. Red is the only statement on his color palate.
He counts. …10, 11, 14, 17… and all letters are A. He will laugh directly at you should you attempt to correct him as if to say, “you sad, silly little man. I pity you and your obsession with life’s minutiae.”
And so he surprises me. As we walk through the school to his classroom older children will stop and say, “Hey, Zander.” They know him. He smiles. He waves. He greets his classmates in the hallway as they arrive calling them by name.
“Hey, Colin. Hey, Olivia.” I had no idea he was even aware that there were other children in his class, much less that he would know their names. It doesn’t stop there. “Hey, Lunchroom Lady.” (He doesn’t know her name but at least he knows what she does.) “Hey, Mr. Tommy.”
He knows the school custodian! His name is Tom and the Lunchroom Lady got quite the chuckle when Zander referred to him as Tommy. None-the-less he knew.
And then it was my turn to chuckle. The other morning as we made our way into the school we walked past the priest and without hesitation Zander smiled, waved and offered as nonchalant as if he were speaking to me, “Hey, God.”
Classic.
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Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:31 am
It’s funny–he calls the other priest Father Black (which happens to be his name).
Great post. “Lines do not intimidate him…” I love it.
I, on the other hand, was very obsessed with life’s minutiae.
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Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:32 am
I was always a bit leery of the edge myself. Oh, to be young and reckless again.
Heh, that’s funny.
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Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:32 am
Happens every day!
I need to hang out with Zander, maybe he could get me some of the answers I have been looking for
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Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:33 am
I can’t guarantee any great life wisdom–but he’ll surely make you smile more.
Precious.
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Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:33 am
It’s the only thing that gets him through most days.
When I told my son that the Pope was the highest priest in the Catholic church he thought I meant the tallest.
Ed Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 7:33 am
He’s definitely got a bigger hat!
Hee hee. Cute. And now I have that blasted Adam Sandler Lunch Lady Land song stuck in my head again. Thanks a lot! ………..Sloppy Joes…Slop-Sloppy Joes….
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Ed Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
I didn’t–but I do now. Thanks.
And your life’s task is to keep that spirit within him, don’t let life’s realities grind him down…
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Ed Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
No pressure there…
this is a damn fine post. very well written! bravo sir.
and zander sounds like one cool dude, you’re doing something right.
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Ed Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
High praise and greatly appreciated.