Beautiful Boy January 28, 2010

I’ve known a lot of boys in my life. Probably 5 thousand of them.

From my cousins to our neighbors, classmates in college, org-mates, acquaintances, students in La Salle and friends’ sons — I’ve come to meet and get to know that many boys in my lifetime!

But as with any crowd, there is ONE that stands out.  There is that one amazing boy who is special JUST BECAUSE.  And there is none more wonderful than this boy I know, him who turns 7 on the 29th day of January, Two thousand and Ten!

His name is John Aori.  He was named after our dad. His birthday falls 2 weeks after my mom, making him a Capricorn like her, and 2 weeks before our dad — both of them born in the Year of the Sheep.  After waiting 31 years, he’s just the perfect grandson they could ever ask for!

He is also my only sister’s only son. Being sisters, he was the baby brother we almost had come alive — he is the “kuya” my Ate always wanted to have, and he’s the son I “dreamed” to have… everything except him literally coming from my tummy :p

A lot has been said about Aori’s capabilities and potentials — he does sports, elocution and Mandarin, he loves reading, is in the Top 5 and enrichment classes, can carry a tune and is good with lyrics, a competent computer user, speaks English well, a good story-teller, has traveled much in his young years… I can go on and on and on really, but you know what the best thing is about him?

No matter how much I tease, threaten and torture him… he still loves me in the end. No matter how much I make him cry sometimes, he would still give me a hug after it all.  He brings out the “funny” in me like no other and he turns me into a “sucker-Aunt” when he wants something because everything I ask him to do, he does for me. He is giving as much as I am demanding and I expect nothing less than his best. Sometimes I don’t know if he feels lucky to have me for an Aunt… but I sure am lucky to have him for my one-and-only nephew!

Aori has always been compassionate, the source of joy and laughter in our family. He’s smart and eager to learn, his tantrums are far and few. He is confident and sympathetic, curt but not unfriendly, shy and reserved but definitely the “life” of the dinner table.  His quips and quotable quotes make for great writing material! He makes us all smile!  We enjoy a special bond of talking to each other every morning on our way to school, and maybe because we hang around each other a lot, he’s gotten effected by my actuations and words, tone of voice, vocabulary choice — we’re starting to sound alike! Heaven forbid! But it’s great English, hah! He’d make a wonderful emcee and counselor like me when he grows up!

All in all, he’s but a bundle of blessing to us, a gift of serendipity. Being 7 now moves him a notch higher — from BABY to BOY…  which he will be until he turns 10.

And so this goes out to Aori — Thank you for the privileged of being your Aunt! For all the times you made me laugh and made me angry, for everything you’ve done that’s made me proud and everything you have to put up with about me, for all the things you will still learn, do and feel… you will always and forever be my BEST BOY EVER!

And for Aori’s special day, here is my birthday song for him:

Close your eyes, have no fear
The monsters gone, he’s on the run
And your Auntie‘s here

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy!

Before you go to sleep, say a little prayer
Every day in every way,
It’s getting better and better

Out on the ocean sailing away,
I can hardly wait to see you come of age,
But I guess we’ll both just have to be patient,
Yes it’s a long way to go
But in the meantime…

Before you cross the street, take my hand
Life is just what happens to you
While you’re busy making other plans

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Yori!

Sheng ri kuai le Yuan Zhi! ^_^

* Music & Lyrics by John Lennon

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