Dear Jackson,
When I saw you today, I saw something that I had never seen before in my life. Mind you, I haven't hung around people your age. At all. Ever. So, every time I see see you, I see something new, somebody new.
You are getting older, and you're still changing - something that's going to happen for years.
But I saw something that I just don't know how long it will last. And your mom's have better start videotaping you. In close-up.
While you are playing.
Because I have never seen the emotion of pure happiness when you're being played with. You scream and howl with such delight. But the kickers are your expressions in between each outburst, as you wait for the next silly face or tummy raspberry or whatever. You almost know what's coming and you just can't wait for it to happen. And you don't know it, but you do something with your mouth that makes you look like E.T. (maybe someday you'll get to know what a movie is and who E.T. is).
But the screams, the noises, there's just an untouched purity about them. There's no worldly knowingness that, oh, here comes mommy again, oh yeah, that was fun, what else do you have to make me happy.
I don't know how long this will last. I know it won't last forever. But we have to capture this. Wouldn't that be great? Bottle it - to open in the future when your giggle is needed to cheer someone up.
I'm doing my part, using my iRiver to grab some MP3's of your sounds.
It brightens up anybody's day if they can hear it. It's wonderful.
Try not to lose what you already have that we all want.
With love,
Uncle Michael
2008- The roller coaster
2004- At Home
2003- I'm A Celebrity — Get Me Out Of Here!
- 10 years?
2002- Radiation Therapy Chauffeur™ duty