Happy Birthday, Parker

I look at this photo, taken nearly five years ago, and I still can't believe I used to be able to gather him up in my arms like this. Today Parker is five years old, and dressing himself, and just starting to read, and expressing his musical and literary preferences, and asking questions... oh, the questions that stop us both in our tracks on a daily basis. Like he's trying to pick apart the universe, one question at a time. Nobody ever can really explain it to you, that simultaneous feeling of your heart expanding and breaking at the same time, a constant explosion/implosion every time you look at him. And even though he's probably getting too big, I love that I can still gather him up in my arms now and again, and he'll hug back... really hug back. I've got sorry news for my son: I'm going to be trying to gather him up in my arms for as long as I have arms.

Happy Birthday, my beautiful boy. What's crazy is that by this time next year, you'll probably be able to read the blog entry I write about you.