Six
Taken in England this August, on the coast of Cornwall.
Jasper, today you turn six. This is the first year that the days of the week are again in line the way that they were the week that you were born, so last night, at 11pm on a Thursday I was remembering the moment that my labor started with a rush of water and you began your journey out into the world. You were born at 9:04am on a bright October Friday morning, the moment I saw you I knew with hard certainty that I was meeting one of the greatest loves of my life, this knowledge stunned me for the first weeks of your life. It made me fearful of even the slightest things happening to hurt you.
Six years into my journey as your mama I can look back on those days surrounding your birth with a perspective that I thought would take longer years to come to. I have relaxed, monumentally relaxed, into a role that I feel I was born to play....I have known you for a long time my boy because you see, you and I are so alike that in so many of your workings I feel that I am seeing my self. My own thoughts, reactions, feelings, played out in your child's mind. Knowing your heart so well as I do makes me less fearful for you, helps me to loosen my grip. You are wise, you are curious, sensitive and good hearted. Life opens up to your friendly boisterous nature and you seize it, already I feel that you eat life whole, drink it in and roll around in it! Following your lead I am more able to enjoy and appreciate the details that make life shine.
Mothering you has helped me to know my own self more fully than in all of the 31 years that I lived before knowing you. This past year held so many milestones for you, including the beginning of your first year of school. Your dad and I have watched with wonder as you embraced it all with an excitement that we had only hoped for, your fearlessness of the "new" as you forge ahead teaches us to live with more boldness, more intention.
Thank you for choosing us beautiful boy.
Happy Birthday, with more love than I can put words to, Mama