Nathan is 14 today

The name Nathan means Gift of God, or more formally, He(God) has given. I distinctly remember thinking about the circumstances of his conception and how appropriate this name would be. He was literally a gift of God to us when, already blessed with two beautiful girls, we weren't thinking of having another child for awhile.

Nathan has many wonderful talents and gifts. He loves to talk, not just about typical 14 year old issues, but is quite capable of having in-depth discussions on just about anything. I remember a discussion between Nathan and an older sibling about Robin Hood, the morality of his actions, and what God might think about them. That conversation was at least 3 years ago. You can watch his mind go through a conversation and see him make logical connections to different tangents. Getting him to slow down and really thing about those tangents is an evolving aptitude. He did win an award last year in speech club for his ability to take a tabletop discussion and consistently present a compelling argument for his position.

Musically he's very gifted. While his primary instrument is currently the violin, he has a wonderful voice and a good ear for pitch. I love hearing him really get into playing a difficult piece with good intonation. Athis recitals he sometimes plays a duet with his instructor and it really develops in me an appreciation for the instrument and the broad variety of styles the violin can cover. Playing with the Trinity Orchestra is teaching him how to play in an ensemble which will provide him opportunities far beyond his HS experiences. Now we need to find him a full size violin to encourage him to persevere with the instrument. Lessons and orchestra take a lot of time which leaves him sometimes frustrated at not being able to do other things.

Like most young men, Nathan has some athletic abilities. He can play just about any sport at some level. He would love to play football but since Trinity doesn't have a team it's not really an option. Soccer and wrestling are his primary interests, wrestling probably his better sport. It's an awesome thing to watch him get intense at a match and just flip a guy on his back and pin him. He bought his first weight set a week ago and is starting to put the effort into sports training that will be required at the HS varsity level.

I think Nathan has a great sense of what is good and true, and beautiful. While undergoing all the emotional twists that adolescence brings, he know, knows, in his heart the truth about most issues and circumstances. That makes some conversations very easy. It provides a foundation for more difficult discussions over extended periods. He exhibits great perseverance in adversity, and demonstrates a willingness to lay down his preferences when necessary.

As you can tell, I'm a bit proud of my oldest son. It's an emotional roller coaster having children and trying to raise them and guide them and see them move from toddlers through preschool to their emergence as the fine young men and women. And Nathan is on that path. But he's still young enough to sit with me this past week on the couch and just veg and watch a movie together. With copious amounts of popcorn of course. Now when he want the car keys.......

Happy Birthday Nathan. I love you.