Wednesday, March 16, 2011

a goodnight I'll never forget

Tonight my almost four year old told me he loved me. I was stunned.

Elliott's understanding of concepts has been slow coming. Lately he's begun to gain a better grasp of cause and effect (touch the hot oven and get burned) and his place in the world (birdies go nite-nite, I go nite-nite). He names objects, counts to 10, recites the alphabet (more or less), finishes sentences in his favorite books and asks for things. But, spontaneously express his emotions? I don't think so.

Tonight I put him to bed and laid down and prayed with him.

"Okay, Elliott," I said. "Time to go to sleep. Goodnight, sweetie."

It was silent for a bit and then his sweet little voice said, "Mama, I wah voo."

"What, honey?"

"Mama, I wah voo."

I struggled to decipher. "What?"

"Mama, I wah voo."

It suddenly hit me.

"I love you, too, honey. Oh, how I love you."

Then I laid in the dark and cried. My son understands an abstract concept. It is a breakthrough...of the sweetest kind.

10 comments:

Jacki said...

Oh, the heavens! Amy, what a precious nite you had. All the breakthroughs that will come in this lifetime with that boy! Awesome!

Anonymous said...

How wonderful! --Cara

Unknown said...

Tearful..heather

Andrew said...

That's beautiful...and wonderful.

Carrie said...

...reading with tears in my eyes, amy.

Anonymous said...

amen and amen.

dbirkey said...

no sweeter words . . . expressing, i'm sure, what his heart's been feeling for a long time -- a treasured breakthrough.

Anonymous said...

oh Amy what a gift! -Carol

Anonymous said...

Precious words from a precious little boy.

SMcClements said...

One of the many precious moments of motherhood. So glad to have found your blog.