twelve.

this child made twelve last week. he’s our second-born, and somehow i thought that meant he’d chase his brother’s shadow. but he’s bright and sure and wears the irony of an almost-teenager: two parts swagger, one part vulnerability, rooted in tenderness that belies his posture of nonchalance.

z is influential in a way that can be dizzying for someone so young, and i’m praying he’ll use his power for good–that he’ll love the people around him well, protect the defenseless, serve those who couldn’t possibly repay him. that he’ll rest easy and spilling over in the joy of knowing Christ.

with the exception of our youngest, z is the least likely to defer to the sagacity of his mother :), and he can be exasperating in all the ways that remind me of, well, me. and he is just the sort of person who could light this world to blazing, and everything fierce and hopeful in me is cheering him on.

happy birthday, kiddo. you’re my favorite kind of twelve.