My Son is Turning Four in a Few Days… Where Did the Time Go?

A few days from now, I’ll be the father of a four-year-old boy. I can’t believe it. My son is turning four.

Where did the time go?

Wasn’t it just yesterday when he came out of his mom all wrinkly and tiny but with a strong voice and a firm grip?

Wasn’t it just yesterday when he learned how to climb out of his crib by using all his might?

The little baby I used to carry to the balcony is not so tiny anymore. He can no longer fit comfortably in my two hands.

Every day he gets more curious about the world around him. Every day he amazes me with his growing vocabulary.

And I thank God that he has given me enough life and strength to keep up with my son as he develops into this tiny, inquisitive human being who a few years from now will no longer need me.

Early Signs of Independence

I shouldn’t be surprised…

I remember just standing in that narrow hallway leading to his homeroom as he gladly allowed himself to be absorbed by his classmates on his first day of school.

He didn’t even bother to look back or show any hitnt of hesitance to his new environment.

He just took it all in and bravely went off on his own.

Barely 3 years old and already raring the world to come and get him.

I shouldn’t be surprised…

Even at 2 he was already an independent boy. He was already climbing shelves, getting out of his crib, getting into all sorts of mischief even before he could fully express himself verbally.

I shouldn’t be surprised…

At 1 year old he wasn’t afraid of people and welcomed them all into his personal space with his ready laugh and twinkling eyes.

I shouldn’t be surprised…

Barely 9 months and he was trying to verbalize his thoughts.

I shouldn’t be surprised…

Happiness Mixed with a Little Sadness

For three years I’ve been silently pleading with Father Time to give me just one more day to keep him as he is but it’s a silent war I can only hope to rage on but never win.

Every day I feel sad and happy at the same time that my little boy is growing up so fast.

I think it’s more of happiness. Happiness because I see that he is growing up to be a confident little boy who’s always curious and talkative.

I hope he never loses that.

I hope he never encounters anyone who would make him want to be less of himself.

Delay the eventual degradation of the self to conform with society’s norms.

One more year after this and I’ll have to enroll him to self-defense classes. I don’t want to turn him into a violent boy but I want to make sure that in the event that someone decides to push his buttons and leave him no other course of action, that he’ll be able to deal with it.

A few more days… and it’ll be his birthday.

How fast time flies.

I need to sleep now because we’re leaving for Pampanga tomorrow so we can attend a masonic event where Lyle will be able to participate in a medical mission.

These are things that will be part of his life because his mom is a doctor and I will eventually go back to medical sales.

I hope he has some fun tomorrow.