Just a Swingin' and Dreamin'

I rarely post pictures without a dash of home-brewed wisdom, so let's see if I can come up with anything that relates to the following mega-dose of cuteness. I don't blame you if you can't tear your eyes away from the pictures long enough to read ... I keep scrolling down to see them again and again as I type.

I'm not sure why I keep looking ... I do know that to me, these images (by Aunt Casey) capture something special about childhood ... I'm still trying to put my finger on it.


Do you ever think if life gets any happier you might burst inside? I think that, or feel it, almost every night.

Almost every night Patrick and I go into Wesley's room and play with him for about 30 minutes, it's our way of winding down with him and ending the day -- no matter how hard it was -- with laughter, family togetherness, songs, prayers and whatever else flows from our hearts.



Throughout the evening last night Wesley spontaneously hugged my neck and placed his cheek next to mine. It had been a rough day. He had just spent a weekend away from us and came back ready to test his home and his boundaries to see if anything had changed. Nothing had: I was still firm and held age-appropriate expectations. He just needed to double check, and triple check, and throw tantrums, and throw things (at me), etc. until he knew for sure that he could still count on me, and that his world was still safe and supportive no matter what.

Later that night, toward the end of our time together, Wesley pretended he was a flying dinosaur and flapped his arms as high and fast as he could.

"I want to fly! I want to fly!" he said.

Patrick lifted him into the air and I laughed with joy at their delight. We gave Wesley affirmations, to the extent that we could, about his dream: he probably won't ever be able to flap his arms and fly, but there are other ways he can make his dreams come true.



Heck, for all we know, perhaps his dreams have already have come true, after all, as you see in the picture below, Wesley has two colorful wings and his feet are off the ground.

Who knows where he was going in his mind when this picture was taken, or where he'll take his life long after this memory fades... all I know is that I want a fraction of his belief ...




... that any dream is possible and that there is no reason in the world his dreams won't come true.

One day I want to be the one relishing in my safety and lack of fear as I jump on the bed, flap my arms, and exclaim, "I want to fly, I want to fly" ... and then one day ... look down to find my feet above the earth and my colorful wings outspread.

Even though he's the one testing me to make sure his boundaries are still safe and held in his best interest, I'm the one with a lot to learn -- from him -- about boundaries and possibilities.

I'm tired of confusing safety and fear. And I am ready to claim and name my dreams! Thank YOU, Wesley (and of course Patrick)!