Whether it be my love of life, fear of imminent death, or sheer determination to be memorable; being a grandfather has come very natural to me. That has become even more apparent as our beloved Benjamin has transitioned quickly from an adorable infant, to curious toddler, to the most engaging little person I've ever met. More than anyone, I'm grateful to our daughter and son-in-law for so many opportunities to spend quality time with our boy.
My days off from work are, often, on week days. While that can be a drag, from time to time, when most of the working world is celebrating Friday; being an able and available child care provider during the week affords me some serious one-on-one time. This was fun when Ben was a baby, but nothing compared to the thrill ride it has become. With my little sidekick, agile, mobile and pretty-much potty-trained, we regularly embark on missions of exploration in the hills and hollers of Carter County. I try very hard to walk the line between being a participant and documentarian. I take hundreds of pictures and share them freely, but I also spend a lot of time talking to him. Sometimes I explain what we're seeing to him. Other times I ask him for his take on it and he never disappoints. For instance...
We were recently tromping around the Mark Twain National Forest near my parents' home. The purpose was to look for deer sign and prospective stand locations for deer season, but it went way deeper than that. When we saw a den hole in the ground, I explained to Benjamin that some animals make their homes underground. I told him that hole may have been made by an armadillo. He got down on his knees to get a better look and concluded, "It was probably lady bugs." I had not considered that as an option, but given his track record for intelligence and insight is staggering; I won't dismiss his hypothesis.
Earlier this week, we were hiking through a remote area along Current River, near Van Buren and he told me we needed a map. I told him I knew the way back to the Go-go (his term for his dad's Polaris Ranger), so a map wasn't necessary. He redirected and said, "No, papa. We need an adventure map." We spent the next hour or so, drawing lines in the sand, outlining the area, complete with roads, rivers, and houses. Within the map, we drew squares to designate his house, Nana & Papa's (Kim and I), Oma and Opa (his paternal grandparents, Les and Mary Majors), and GG and Dude's (his name for my parents). He loves his people and can name all of them by their titles and given names.
It has been a couple of decades since I spent this amount of time with a person of his age and, with apologies to his mom & auntie Alex, I don't know that I've ever encountered a two-year-old who is his intellectual equal. I credit his parents so much with spending the time it takes to nurture and develop his ability for abstract thought and cognition. When he offers an argument; be prepared to defend your position. He realizes the handful of Legos he just handed you aren't actually French fries, but to point that out, amid pretending, will be met with a puzzled look, as if to say, "You know and I know we're pretending. Why are you trying to mess it up?" If I tell him at 8 am that eating his lunch will result in a treat, such as ice cream; when lunch is through, ice cream will be expected.
Benjamin is, and I have a feeling, will always be a handful in many regards. He can be obstinate, exactly like his mother and dad were, but he is also very affectionate. He's the best hugger on the planet and says, "I love you!" with heartfelt conviction. He asks about people and pets by name and can tell you who gave him virtually every toy he owns. Him imagination takes us on journeys of the body and mind. When we hit the woods, he regularly shouts, "Follow me!" like he's a 3'2" Indiana Jones heading into the Temple of Doom. I, of course, let him lead the way. That's a practice I intend to continue.
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