Happy Birthday Jackson....

Jackson and Parker at Pack Meeting

Nine years ago today my son Jackson was born.  I still remember the day.  It was an early morning c-section and we arrived at the hospital before it was light out.  On top of that I was SICK.  I had a fever, felt like crap, and had to run to the bathroom several times while Kelly was prepped for surgery.  The rest of the morning is a blur of activity, him being born, me not being sick any more and viola it was all over and we had ourselves our first son.  Pretty amazing shit really.  There were no complications and we had the whole family back home in just a few days.

     Jackson has amazed me in the last nine years.  He is compassionate, gentle, and thoughtful.  Everything I’m not.  He has an imagination that rivals my own (which is saying something).  He see’s the world through a set of glasses that I envy.  He see’s everything and he see’s the good in all of it.  He wanted to deconstruct it and understand why it exists, why it does whatever its supposed to do.  My biggest challenge has been to not destroy that with my jaded cynical self.    He’s just an amazing kid.

     In the end it’s this kindness and his imagination that I am most proud of.  Right now, as I type this, I can hear him in the background playing.  He’s running back and forth, through the living room and into his room, yelling and shooting at imaginary beats.  (actually I think right now he’s fighting a pokemon if I understand the phrases he keeps calling out).  He can do this for hours!  Hours I tell you.  It’s pretty amazing really.  He doesn’t need toys, nor does he really use the ones he begs us for, to do this.  It’s just him in his little world have a blast.

     I mentioned earlier that he thoughtful and it shows through every day.  I remember a year or so ago (impressive isn’t it!?) we gave him some money for books at the schools book fair.  He got himself something but he also got his sisters something if I recall right.  That’s just the boy he is.  He loves his grandparents a ton but especially his grandmothers.  I truly hope he stays this way for the rest and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that happens.  He makes me proud to be his father.  Happy Birthday Jackson!