How do I love you?

Over the past few weeks Daniel and I have had a sweet game we play at bedtime where we describe the ways we love each other. The game has had a few variations.

Variation #1: Distance

A spin on the "I love you to the moon and back" line.

Examples: 

"I love you to the school and back." "I love you to chapel and back."

"I love you to the garage and back." "I love you to the back door and back."

"I love you to the bathroom and back." "I love you to the toilet and back."

"I love you the ceiling and back." "I love you to the fan and back."

Variation #2: More than this

Examples:

"I love you more than ice cream." "I love you more than chocolate."

"I love you more than my bed." "I love you more than pillows."

"I love you more than your car." "I love you more than your bicycle."

Variation #2: Body parts

Examples:

"I love your eyes." "I love your smile."

"I love your brains." "I love your heart."

"I love your legs." "I love your feet."

Then, one day, a weird turn.

Daniel, to me: "I love your penis." (It seems our prior discussions of how boys and girls are different failed to register.)

Whether measured in distance, dessert, or body parts, I love my sweet boy and I love my sweet boy's big heart. Nearly every day he impresses me with some kind, thoughtful comment or gesture. Last weekend when I had stomach flu he wanted to take care of me and the next day when we shopped for Halloween costumes he chose a doctor costume so he could continue taking care of me. He enjoys sharing his desserts with Rebecca and tonight as we were getting ready to leave the house to go to dinner he went over to Rebecca to give her a big hug and asked if we were taking her with us, because he didn't want to go without her.

On a related note lately he's been on a kick of drawing pictures of our family. He learned the idea from an episode of Daniel Tiger when Daniel draws such a picture for his new baby sister's room. My Daniel's first picture of the family now hangs in Rebecca's room per his request.

A week or two ago he did a variation on the family picture. I told him about Baby Ellie, the 22 month-old daughter of some Aggie friends who has had several strokes and 2 major brain surgeries in the past few months and is even now still in the hospital. He has been praying for her every day "Dear God, please make the owie in Baby Ellie's head better." Then, on his own, he decided to do this:

I wrote the note but the artwork is all his. It's a picture of our family with Ellie and one of her parents (I forget if it was to be her mom or dad).

I've come to the conclusion that Daniel already knows more than most people about kindness, sweetness, and compassion. It's not my job to teach him those things, it's my job instead to nurture and preserve the big heart he already has.