About nine years ago I was sure that I would never have sons. My record was consistent. Three tries and three girls in a row. Not that I wasn't happy about having girls. I was and am. It just seemed that girls were all around me and I needed to have someone else from "Mars" with me, not just "Venus."Along came Matthew while we lived in Houston, Texas. He was definitely different from the previous babies. His shoulders were broad and my Dad called him "Brick" because he was kind of shaped like one.
As little Matthew started growing, it was fascinating to see how his mind would develop. Soon we heard singing coming from his bed at night. When he got up in the morning I would ask, "Did you hear that singing ghost last night?" He would get a big smile on his face and I would go on and on trying to find the singing ghost in the house. It was a fun game between the two of us. I still play it with him on occasion. Right now, Matthew plays the piano, violin, and sings in the advanced Salt Lake Children's Choir. All his music teachers love him because he soaks everything in like a sponge. He gets it way beyond his years.
The other day while I was driving him to his Children's Choir rehearsal, he told me how music is in everything just about and how it is the basis of almost all art, dance, theater, movies, TV etc. etc. "Who told you that?" I asked him. "Oh, no one. I just figured it out myself." Well, the kid likes to think I see. He still surprises me with the stuff that he comes up with. I could go on and on.
I also noticed that he has a very curious mind. He's fascinated by science and he wants to know everything about how the world works. He asked for hand sanitizer for Christmas one year because he was enthralled with the idea of the chemical reaction that causes the soap to kill all the germs. Soon Claudia was buying encyclopedias and globes etc. to help satisfy his curious nature. Lately he's been learning all his times tables and learning to count money in school. He told me that he likes that. His mind is figuring out how everything works and it's very satisfying to him. He likes to put all his new knowledge in a special box in his mind and when he's got the concepts placed, he tries to link them all together.
Who knew I'd have a son like him? That's one of the funnest things to observe, how a new individual in the world grows and develops and becomes something that you did not suspect which brings me to the next point of this little musing.
I didn't think Matthew would like sports too much. Watching football with his Dad on TV or competing in intense sports just didn't seem to be his interest. We put him in soccer a few years ago. He didn't like that very much because all the guys on the other team wouldn't just leave you alone with the ball. They would come up and push you around and take the ball from you. He decided to drop that the next year. He just wasn't the aggressive type. So when he came up to me last year and wanted to play tackle football I was a little cautious.
"Matthew, in football you have to be really tough and aggressive and the coaches yell at you too. You also have to exercise really hard and you won't like it sometimes. People also try to hit you and beat you up. Are you sure you want to try that?"
"That's ok Dad. I want to play anyway. I'm totally sure!"
"Are you sure you're sure, because once you start you can't quit. You have to finish the season."
"No problem, Dad. I want to play tackle football."
"Ok."
So I signed him up and assigned myself to be an assistant coach. Turns out that he loves it. He loves being part of the team and trying his hardest. He's doing well and plays first string offensive end and second string defensive end.
Here a picture of him catching a pass in last Saturday's game. Who knew he would like this?
It just goes to show you. You can't just label someone as fitting into a preconceived notion or idea. We humans are complex and we can do a-lot of different things. We just need the opportunity and support to try something new. We don't just fit neatly into little categories. The most beautiful thing about being human is to have the ability and capacity to grow and develop in the areas of our own choosing!
Way to go Matthew!
