Walking the Walk | 2007

When you are watching your child grow up, you sometimes grow impatient. Not because you are frustrated that your child cannot do what you want him to do, but rather because you set your expectations too high. Maybe because your friend's cat can play with a ball of yarn at 2 months old, or your neighbor's dog fetching sticks at 3 months old. I believe that every child is special, and that he will shine and surprise you when that time is due.

Then there's the reality that raising one is an awfully big responsibility. In the movies, you see the good stuff. The laughing, the playing, the cute smile and obnoxious farting. But when you're actually there, you see what goes on behind the scenes. What the director of the movie has to put up with. This includes the wailing, the crying, the messy feeding and the stinky diapers. This is where I believe the line is drawn between the men and the boys, not some race to see who is the fastest or who scores the most baskets. What separates the men from the boys, is how you buck up and change soiled diapers (when the baby has diarrhea, no less).

When Jakjak was still a baby, we couldn't wait for him to start crawling. After getting tired of waiting for him to crawl, he walked! The little bugger actually walked! Sure he was clinging to the side of the crib like there's no tomorrow, but he walked! Rather than crawl, he must have figured he would get farther (and faster) if he was walking. And when he was walking, we couldn't wait until he could do it on his own, without the guides, without holding on to mum and dad. When we got tired of waiting, he decided he wanted to ride the baby pram instead! He must have figured out he would get farther (and even faster) in less time and less effort if he was in a pram! He really shines where it matters though, in giving his mum and dad the time of their lives.