The above picture is of my son, Matthew, on his 4th birthday. He was always this cheerful and always warmed my heart even when I was very down.
I made it a point not to know the gender of my children until they were born. I was sure that my second child was going to be a girl. I was very shocked when I was wrong. I knew there was a reason, hence the choice for this child's name. I would have probably had no more children.
My wife always left the names up to me. Silly woman.
Matthew is derived from the Hebrew language and it means "Gift of Yahweh". This is certainly the case with this child. He is a great gift.
I was named after my great uncle Ezra Clair. He died at the age of sixteen. I don't know a lot about this great uncle but I have always had warmth in my heart when I think of him. Matthew inherited Ezra's first name as his second. Ezra is a very sacred name.
Matthew has always been my Sunshine Boy. I could show you a hundred photographs where his countenance is the same as shown above. He is wise for his age and outwardly is made of quiet calm. Matthew is a self-made man. He possesses very high emotional intelligence and lives a life of service. Matthew worked hard through adolescent/adult adversity and has great faith.
I want to be like Matthew when I grow up.
One of the disadvantages of living so far away from the extended family is that I really don't know the nieces and nephews. Thanks for sharing the insights into your boys - helps me feel a little more connected. And you're right - he has a genuine kajillion kilowatt smile!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that is one super-cute little guy! Matthew is definitely an original. I'm glad that he's my cousin, and even more glad that he's my friend. I've always known him to be more reserved and introspective, so it's funny to see these pictures of him being so obviously full of glee. Thank you for sharing this.
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