Campbell family representative

The last several times we've taken the boys to the park, I've had had a rather new and poignant experience: watching Jack interact with complete strangers as his own, independent little person.

It's the oddest feeling to watch him run out onto the playground and announce (to whatever random, strange kids might be within earshot), "Hi guys! I'm Jack! This is my brother Thomas. And that over there is Peter .... he's a baby". That's one of his first orders of business -- introducing other kids to his brothers. And then, depending on his mood, Jack will toss in other bits of information, like "I'm a Dodger. You have to be careful" (he says this in all seriousness and with true reverence, as if being a Dodger is a superpower (which I'm sure David or Michael probably would not argue with!).

It struck me that Jack is starting to go out into the world and translate whatever knowledge and experience he has been steeped in at home into his own conversations and relationships with others. I felt so strongly that here was a little piece of me, in the literal physical and biological sense, but also in the ethical, religious, cultural sense of our family -- part of me, but completely independent from me, out and about in the world.

He didn't need me to be close to him (he's certainly not shy around strangers, and he doesn't need help on the playground equipment) so I sat on a bench and watched him interact with the other kids. It felt like a little piece of my heart was out there on its own, with him, blowing in the wind. I couldn't control what he said or what other kids said to him, but I definitely felt the impact. I felt proud and happy when he played well with other kids and tried to include Thomas in the fun, who despite toddling as fast as he could on his stubby little legs, always seemed to be 25 steps behind the bigger kids. I also felt that little piece of my heart ache when a little boy was being mean to Jack.

I know! This is just barely the beginning -- we haven't even entered the school years yet, with friendships and loss of friendships and all that kid politics stuff. But for some reason it hit me for the first time that he has become his own *rational* little person, capable of reasoning with others and entering the complex web of social relationships without me holding his hand through it all. It's exciting, and I trust that we are raising Jack to be a great representative of the Campbell family and everything we stand for, but it's also bittersweet to see my first baby growing up and ever-so-slowly away.