Thoughts on My Eldest

Just a few things about Gabe that I never want to forget.

Just about everything Gabriel does makes me proud and breaks my heart at the same time. He is so loyal, sensitive, dedicated, and moral. I feel like he would give the shirt off his back for anyone. Gabriel wrote on his Father’s Day “coupons” that he would give his daddy his Angry Birds “lovies”and a trophy for being the best dad. I thought that was sweet enough (it’s the thought that counts, right?), but when he actually put the lovies (which he treasures) and his very own t-ball trophy (his only trophy) on Jake’s nightstand, I got all misty-eyed. What’s more is that when I told him that he didn’t really have to give his things up to his dad (thinking he’d be relieved), he got really sad and didn’t understand why I wouldn’t want him to fulfill his birthday promise to Daddy. Bittersweet.

Gabe is a full-fledged reader. He reads at a second to third grade reading level. Right now, he’s reading Bible stories, because that’s what Grammy brought to the house. He knows everyone’s names and their relationships to other bible characters. I think it’s cool, because he’s interested in his reading material, but the stories are a little intense for a five year old boy, in my opinion. Yesterday, I corrected him for being argumentative over something trivial with his sister, Bella. I looked over at Gabe five minutes later and his eyes are filled with tears. I had all but forgotten about his argument with Bella, because it was never really a big deal. So I asked him what the matter was. He replied with sincerity, “I just need to pray all day today.” I was totally surprised at his response, because we have never really taught him about repentance or prayer in any context other than before mealtimes and bedtime. When I asked him why, he replied, “because sometimes I am mean to my sister, and I need to be sorry about that.”

I could go on and on with examples of this type of behavior. He is the one always encouraging the family to go to church. He follows all the rules in the house and makes sure everyone else does too, even in my absence. He will literally eat his entire dinner, without being forced, even if he hated it from the first bite. He laughs at all of mine and Jake’s jokes, even when they’re not funny. He tells us things that he knows will make us happy, just to see us smile. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Sometimes I worry about my boy, because he is such a pleaser and so self-sacrificing at times. But he gets along with everybody, and has never met a person he didn’t consider his friend. Gabe is just the best son I could ever wish for. He is a loving, tender brother; a loyal and obedient and affectionate son; and a good person overall. I feel like sometimes he even gets overlooked, because he doesn’t command attention the way his sisters do (and they do it in different ways of course). I just wanted to mention him today.

Gabe and I went to the Arizona Science Center on our Mommy-Son Date.