Blink

Today I was talking on the phone with my nephew Ben, who turns 3 in November. He is all boy - rough and tumble, quick and crazy and just so unbelievably sweet he makes me melt.  If I can have a child half as wonderful as that little boy, I will truly be blessed.  I only live about 15 minutes away from my niece and nephew and see them very regularly.  I also try to talk to them on the phone each week.  You would be amazed at what a 5 minute phone call will do to your spirits.

Anyway, he was telling me that his toy vacuum was loud and I agreed as I heard it rattling in the background.  He then shut it off and told me so.  We chatted for another 15 seconds and he goes "I done now".  I was like "ok, Ben, I will talk to you later. Bye."  His response? "I love you Amy".  Ben has never said those words unsolicited, much less over the phone.  That was a moment I will hold in my heart forever.

He called me later today at work to tell me absolutely nothing.  He saw Grandma with the phone and wanted to call.  Well, the conversation goes pretty quickly when Ben doesn't want to talk, so soon I hear "I done now".  I again said "ok, Ben, I will talk to you later sweetie".  His response? "I love you Amy".

I have no idea why he started saying that to me...just like we have no idea why he suddenly calls his grandma "Donna".  "Hi Donna - I want toast" or "Donna, you go home"...he has done it a few times before, but now it seems pretty consistent.   Who knows.

I regularly check a blog called Audrey Caroline about a woman who is dealing with the death of her child and life with her 3 remaining children and husband. I won't go into detail about the amazing strength and wonderful wit of this woman, but I am in awe.  She had a post where she talks about how one of her daughters said if she had a camera, she would have taken a picture of this wonderful moment in time.  And then she made a comment that they didn't need a camera - they could blink their eyes and commit it to memory.  She would recount all these wonderful moments and...

blink

She would capture them in her head and heart.  Which is just incredible.  How many moments do we get that we truly wish to remember forever?  I was blessed to have 2 in one day.

"I love you Amy"  

blink.

Ben & Donna on vacation