Unconditional love

Wow. I sit here with a tear rolling down my cheek. I'm not sad, I'm just so touched and happy and amazed at the love one person can feel for another. No, not me loving my boy (well, of course, I do, but this post is not about that). I'm talking about the unconditional love of an adoring sibling.

See, my boy has an older sister. She's six. She's a typically-developing spit-fire. She can be quite a handful, but she's also the most loving, caring, amazing little human. Here's what just happened...but first the background. My kids share a room. Their beds are along opposite walls from each other. When we tuck the kids in, we always pull up the covers and give them kisses. My girl won't get to sleep unless she has at least a sheet on her (just like me...I need at least some covers). My boy can't pull his covers up because of the muscle weakness from spinal muscular atrophy. Thus, we always pull up the covers and tuck them in.

So, it's been a really great day so far. Took the kids to a museum, saw a great mummy exhibit that they thought was really cool, took the boy for a much-needed haircut, and played Sorry and Zingo as a family before bedtime. They were really tired by the time teeth were brushed, pajamas were on, and books were read. And when they're over-tired, they don't want to sleep. And when they don't want to sleep, they don't want covers on. So, the wife and I just told them goodnight and turned off the lights without covering them up. So be it -- my girl can pull her own covers up when she's good and ready, and I can go in after my boy has fallen asleep and cover him up.

Flash forward 15 minutes. I tiptoe into the kids' room and...my boy already has his covers puled up perfectly and is sound asleep with the most peaceful look on his face. My girl is still awake and tells me -- "Daddy, I waited until he was asleep and then pulled up his covers."

My heart melted. I never asked her to do that. Never suggested she do that. Never even mentioned I'd come back to cover him so he wouldn't be cold. She just did it all on her own because she loves her little brother and wanted to take care of him. I cried when I told my wife. How amazing is she? And, she does little things like this for her brother all the time. She loves him beyond anything I've ever seen. He is blessed to have her.

And I'm the luckiest Daddy in the world to have them both in my life.

Just not fair

So, I'm on a cross-country flight and they show this interesting documentary that brought together Jack White (of the White Stripes and now The Racounteurs), The Edge (U2, of course), and Jimmy Page (Zepplin, natch) to talk about playing the guitar, their unique styles, influences, etc. It was pretty compelling and really gave me an increased appreciation for White. I have been a fan of White Stripes for quite some time, but now I understand his influences in southern, bare, rough blues and see how they led him to create this very spare, honest sound. Luckily, I had my iPod with me and could listen to all the White Stripes music I have in the isolation of a tin can hurtling through space and noise-canceling headphones.

Okay, so that was pretty cool. And, it made me think of my boy, who is a huge music fan. And, for a 3 (now 3-1/2) year old, he really has definite tastes and preferences. Blue Note era jazz -- wonderful; Pearl Jam, Green Day, Wolfmother, White Stripes -- great "rockin out" music as he calls it; 80's new wave -- usually likes it, calls it "Squeeze music"; The Beatles -- he has yet to develop a taste for them...oh, but he will...yes, he will. He has of late developed an unfortunate (in my view) appreciation for a current Miley Cyrus hit, but he is 3 after all, so that can be forgiven.

Anyway, all this led me to think about how he'll never be able to play the guitar. I don't know that he'd ever want to, but watching those three incredible, innovative musicians, and their love for music and drive to create something of their own, I can imagine my boy would have the drive to do the same. But, he'll never have the strength to really hold a guitar, much less mash down the strings. And that just sucks. I try my damndest to think -- "So what? He can appreciate music, he can maybe even play an electronic drum set for kicks" -- but sometimes the unfairness of it all overcomes the sunshine attitude. And, sitting on that cross-country flight, alone (in the real sense at least) and in the dark, I could not escape the reality that it is just not fair.

So, readers (if there are any), this life is not all wine and roses.