:::: how long do you want to be loved? is forever enough?

every other friday i take the day off work and watch my girlfriends 3 kids. i love these boys. i love spending the day with them. observing them. taking them in. now that the oldest is off to school for the majority of the day, my afternoons are spent with these two little guys. being with them is like being in a different world. a better world. they love endlessly. and teach me continuously. with every step. breath. word. babble. they are creating moments. memories.

sometimes, when they crawl up onto the couch and wrap their arms around my neck, i pull them close and do everything in my feeble power to ensure that they can FEEL love. i kiss their cheeks incessantly. i dance with them around the kitchen. i follow through---with reward AND reprimand. i want so badly for them to grasp the sincerity, depth and enormity of given love. i want them to know the kind of safety and acceptance that many people never experience. i want them to grow up to be men of integrity and compassion.

and while i'm sure someone was screaming about 10 minutes after i took this picture, it appears we're off to a good start...

"brotherly love" sept 2009