Outside the box

Enthusiasm for life is not something that comes naturally to me. I tend to be complacent with a tendency toward inaction. I often crave quiet. So when our fourth child, Luke, was born I was not ready. He entered the world loudly. With only his head emerged Luke's cries could be heard in the birthing room, down the hall, through a fire safety door and into the waiting room.
 One of my nick names for Luke as a child was Mr. Happy. He didn't always wake easily in the morning but once he was up he was really up. He would wake with a song and I think he still does.
Luke had a few minor problems as a child but those things never got him down for long. Once when he was about three we had to rush him to the hospital with a severe case of the croup. He spent the night in a croup tent, singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

One of the difficult things for me as a mother was sending my kids off to school. I always worried about them the first few days. With Luke my worries were very short lived because he found such joy in being there and in learning.
For the past several years we have only had one child at home at a time and so our house has become a quiet place. When Luke comes home for the weekend he bursts through the door and pops the quiet bubble.  During his first weekend home, his first year of university Pete and I had just gone to bed and were quietly reading when Luke flung open our door while playing guitar, dancing and singing In the Jungle. He jumped onto our bed and continued to sing and dance causing Pete and I to laugh.
Luke is not always making noise but when you can't hear him you can be assured that he is either asleep, creating something or doing his philosophy homework. He is creative and sometimes asks the oddest questions.
Every one of my children is precious to me, every one different, each one adds something wonderful into the mix and every one of them has taught me something. Luke brings energy and laughter. You never really know what to expect. He challenges me to think outside of the box, find joy in small things and have some fun too.