The Baby Can Be Your Boy
March 25, 2009 by: Brendan
“Is that for me?” the son asked his father. “Is what for you?” the father wondered. “The ‘N’ on your shirt,” explained the son. The father looked down at his shirt, full of letters that spelled out the name of a company he used to work at. Sure enough, there was the small, gray letter “N.”
The father quickly told the son, “Why yes, it is for you. In fact, every time I see the letter ‘N,’ I think of you because it’s the first letter of your name.” The son smiled, but the father was forced to ponder again when the son asked, “Is that me on your shirt?” The father hesitated and replied, “I don’t think so.” “But if you say the magic word, then I will be on your shirt,” said the son. Even though the father had a pretty good guess, he asked the son anyway, “What is the magic word?” “Abracadabra!” the son said with excitement.
The father was confused, but willing to play along as any parent with a young child would. The father wanted further clarification and asked, “So, if I say ‘Abracadabra,’ you’ll appear on my shirt?” “Yes,” answered the son.” The son went on to explain what would happen next. “If you say the magic word, I won’t be here anymore because I’ll be on your shirt.” “Oh, so your picture will appear on my shirt?” asked the father. “No, I will be on your shirt. I won’t be your boy anymore.”
Sadness fell over the father, as he wondered if the son was feeling left out with all the recent talk about the upcoming arrival of the son’s little brother. Realizing this as a possibility, the father did not want to take the story any further. “I won’t say the magic word then,” the father stubbornly stated. “But you have to say the magic word so I can be on your shirt,” the son pleaded with disappointment. “I don’t want to say the magic word because you told me that you wouldn’t be here anymore,” said the father. “If you’re not going to be here, who would be my boy?” “The baby can be your boy,” the son quickly answered.
The father knew that he needed to firmly explain to his son what was about to happen in the coming days. “I think that when the baby arrives, both you and the baby can be my boys,” said the father. The son looked at his father with relief and said, “Oh.” The father continued to reassure his son telling him, “I’ll say the magic word so your picture will appear on my shirt, but only if you’ll be here and be my boy.” The son replied, “Okay,” and then asked, “And the baby too?” “Yes, the baby too.” Hopeful that the son understood how the father felt, the father gave the son a reassuring hug and told him, “No matter what, you will always be my boy.”
Posted in Parenting
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March 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
/sniff
Well done BC. Well done.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
very nice – you’re a good writer.
And Congratulations! All my best to you and your family.