JJ

Most days, he shoots around the room like a rocket, operating at one speed—lightning.

His spirit is robust, his body, a mini tornado, his mouth, unruly.

Some label him bad or rude or disrespectful.  A troublemaker. A bad influence.

Hundreds of thousands of synapses spark about in his brain, sending him in spontaneous directions that even he cannot foresee.

His humor is good. He loves to make others laugh. Sometimes he takes it too far and ends up making them cry instead.  They don’t get his humor.  They don’t understand his yearning to be seen and heard, small as he is. 

His temper is bad. They don’t see the sensitive boy who is so filled with emotion, he sometimes expresses himself in ways he should not. And when he is punished, those big brown eyes filled with tears, unable to explain his behavior that is a mystery even to himself.

They don’t see him as I do. A sweet boy who loves to help around the house. A cuddler and a good student, always willing to do homework without putting up a fight.  An encourager who thanks his mama for cooking for him and tells her how much he loves her. A thoughtful boy who draws pictures for his family expressing his love for them.  A jokester who makes his family laugh heartily.

Irreverent?  Maybe.  Disrespectful?  At times.  But at his core?  Sweet.  Oh, so sweet.  A heart for God and a zest for life.  We could not love him more if we tried.