I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness-- Jeremiah 3:3

Sunday, March 21, 2010

VIN HENRY, A SON I NEVER HAD




I do have twins. Or so I thought.

Essentially, Vin Henry, my nephew, is much like Shekinah Myrrh. They have the same too-hot-to-handle temper and out-of-this-world imaginations seen in their eyes and in the flurries of their hands. In the midst of the so many similar things that they adore including books, videos, and music, the semblance just amazes me and sends me witless.

Sometimes I think they must have come from the same uterus and gene pool. Well, okay, they're first cousins alright. But such similarities need not be this stark this early.

Having Shekinah late in my midlife buys me time to wish and pray for a semblance of a near-perfect personality for my kid. But honestly, it's almost bizarre to see all those striking resemblances.

Let me start with a minor look at my simple pre-baby history.

When my younger sister delivered her first baby boy, I was won over. TOTALLY. His seemingly knowing eyes just went at every direction where the nursery room lone nurse's voice went. That is at DAY ONE. From then on, I could not keep my hands off the small guy.

I began to splurge on baby boy clothes, books, toy puzzles, even food. There was always a tug in the heart just by looking at him. My heart always took flight every time he asked for books when he tagged along with me in bookstores and department stores. When months became years, he became the kid I wanted him to be--a lover of books. He even is far advanced than his age. He devoured every information from every page--with or without colors.

Yes, he practically was my son minus the 9-month struggles and hours of labor and the nail-biting delivery that my sister went through. And for a while, I was content with such a gift as Vin Henry.

And then, via God's mercy and grace, Shekinah found her way to my uterus. Surprisingly, he became endeared to me EVEN MORE for reasons I can't put my finger on. I just took every moment in, breathed it in, and loved every minute of it. Right there, swollen belly and all, I quietly wept when I prayed for my coming baby to be just exactly like Vin Henry.

And it came to pass that Shekinah finally came. There went Vin Henry never failing to visit her until today. He was there with flailing hands, talking to her in ways only tots like them understand--playing with her with the same toys, reading his books with her, watching kids' videos with her, and practically doing anything with her even inside her crib despite my remonstrances. My guess? They share secrets and depths in the solace of their own world. Needless to say, they like each other.

Unfortunately, they likewise share the same messy tantrums. They scream, flail their hands uncontrollably, and pinched any one they can find when things don't go their way. They even have the same twitches and lines across their equally tiny faces when they smile and make faces. Startling? I told you so.

Yes, I have a daughter and a son. Actually they are not just twins. They come from the same heart. One just happens to have come from someone else's uterus.

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