Harris and Sherwood Family Blog: And Then You Were Three

You turned three years old this last week, young enough that some folks would count your age in months and it boggles the mind the life lessons you've faced and the wisdom you have shared in 36 short months.

By the time you are old enough to read this letter you will understand that you were born on an infamous date in our history. September 11th is seared into the souls of many of your mother's and grandparents generations as a day of sorrow, hopelessness and venerability.

No one would argue that in many ways your first 3 years of life have reflected the

emotions invoked by the tragedy of 9/11/01 but against the odds you are the embodiment of the wisdom available to us all as we move forward. You are a rough and tumble, bundle of hope, tenacity and vibrant spirit.

You have learned that life is a delicate thing and that loss is possible no matter how unfair. You taught us all that grief has nothing to do with age. That we can grieve and still move forward, laugh as quickly as we once did and loose nothing of ourselves in the process.

You miss your Daddy and in missing him have become curious about heaven. At first it was all right that Daddy was with God and then just as quickly you were angry with God for "taking him away from you". You have worried that God is greedy and will want your Mommy or your Pagum but in no time you let go of that worry and returned to living in each moment, a wonderful lesson for us all.

Logan you gobble up life as if it was a piece of the chocolate you love so much. You want to know the "why" of everything and will quietly listen to our answers to your many questions. It is obvious to us that you listen even when we aren't talking directly to you from the many wonderful things that fall out of your mouth.

Thursday night as we kicked around balloons and waited for your Mommy to finish dinner you ran from one room to the next all arms and legs at angles singing "Lets get this party started" over and over.

To delay bedtime you told Mommy "I need something, something to reach over the orange tree and grab the sun" in a quest to keep it in the sky.

You will tell us that we make you angry or frustrated once you have regained your words after a temper tantrum and quietly let us know "I feel better now" reminding us all that a good cry does a body good.

You resisted being potty trained until one day you just were. Day, night the whole deal in a heart

beat. You told anyone who would listen that you "were in potty training" as if it was a place and I guess for you it was. In this as in most things in your life you are fiercely independent, you don't want to be asked if you need to go potty, you simply announce "I'll be right back" jump up, go about your business and upon your return say proudly "I told you I'd be back!".

You know your ABC's, can count to 10, know most of the colors and next week you will begin a new path on your journey by starting preschool. Mommy, Pagum and I all think you are past ready for this first step away from us and know we have kept you closer to home more for our sake than yours. But as you toured your new school, as you entered each room you threw your arms out wildly announcing for all to hear "I like this room!".

So we all stand back in awe as you mark this milestone in life and show us every day how to turn sorrow into joy, hopelessness into hope and embrace the vulnerability that is inherent in life.