Celebrating One Year of Life

Yes, the little guy is turning one! Since we will be traveling to Toronto to celebrate with the grandparents (and do the Korean dol) next week, we had a Boston birthday picnic this past weekend. The weather was perfect!

It is perhaps trite to write about all the amazing things I've learned as a parent this first year, but all of it is true, so I will write about it nonetheless.

I have never really thought about the meaning behind a birthday until the little guy came along. This year, we are celebrating the gift of life. It really can't be taken for granted, and we are thankful for each day. There is nothing like pregnancy and a newborn that highlights the fragileness and delicacy of life, and just how little control we have over it. I am thankful for this first year, and know that it is a gracious gift.

This past week, my pastor preached about how he has no idea where his love for his children comes from. I couldn't agree more. It is a love that is perhaps the most human (in all that we're intended to be) and the most divine--love purely for the sake of love; as far as I can tell, there is no selfishness in it. That to me is something amazing and quite wonderful, and reminds me that there is something real and true about love, wholeness, and beauty, although they are not always perfect or complete in this world. This same love, I also see between my husband and my child, and I would not trade watching it played out for anything in the world.

This past year has also been a lesson in partnership. I know having a partner in raising a child is a blessing, and I have tremendous respect for those who do it largely on their own. For me, this year, there was something about sharing in this love for a child that has been deeply bonding. As I watch Jason playing with Collin, teaching him, taking care of him, I found myself learning new things about my husband and who he was created to be. It's as if God gave me a window to see more directly into who Jason is, and just how much he loves me and our family.

All this to say, we had a very full year and I am grateful. Here are some pictures of Collin, enjoying the party (oblivious to all that it means to me of course): cupcakes, bubbles, football, friends...really, what more could a little guy ask for?