I’m sitting here staring at this blank screen, wondering how I can convey Aaron’s adjustment or lack thereof to being Uncle Aaron. I think the best way to do so is to share with you a statement he made not long ago. Here is Uncle Aaron in true Aaron form, talking about his role as an uncle.
“Well, Andrea made me the uncle without asking. Why did she automatically make me the uncle?!”
Shame on Andrea, right?
Oh, Aaron.
I made a feeble attempt to explain this dynamic of becoming an uncle, but Uncle Aaron was already on to another topic, and I knew when it was time to just hush.
As I have said many times in the past and am sure I will continue to say many times in the future, Aaron’s main concern in life is Aaron. His schedule, his routine, his comfort, his attention…these are a few of the things that matter most to him. When the title “Uncle” is added to his name, that means there is another person in his world that made him an uncle…and that little person sometimes takes Aaron’s schedule, routine, comfort, and attention, and stands all of it on its head.
Aaron’s world is jumbled during those times. He is not the center of attention, the master of his world, the keeper of his schedule…and this disruption is HUGE to him.
You should hear him at the dinner table when Andrea, Kyle, and Ryker are at our house. He literally will not quit talking, and when he is interrupted by us giving Ryker attention, he is perturbed. Or when Aaron takes a bite and we can use those two seconds when he is not talking to jump in and quickly start another vein of conversation, Aaron huffs and puffs and chews extra fast so he can quickly start talking again.
He cannot figure out why on earth we would interrupt his monologue about the core of the earth, the solar eclipse, the ancient cave bones that were unearthed, what causes earthquakes…and by the way, why didn’t the moon melt during the recent eclipse??
BUT…Aaron, despite all these interruptions into his ordered life, is surprising us with his efforts to assimilate Ryker into his life and to try to understand his new little nephew.
Ryker just stares at Aaron, waiting for eye contact and for a response. He doesn’t get that from Aaron yet, of course. Aaron has yet to talk to Ryker. That concept is just too hard for Aaron. So, Ryker observes his Uncle Aaron with great curiosity, even at only 15 months of age.
What Aaron does love to do is to give Ryker things. Here he is sharing his pecans with Ryker.
He was super excited for our sweet little neighbor to share her chalk with Ryker.
And for the first time in years, Aaron wanted to have an Easter basket and an egg hunt like Ryker. A little jealousy there, I’m sure, but it was fun and had some sweet moments.
The good times and the progress we see is very encouraging to us.
They truly are more frequent than the other side that crops up when Aaron is feeling usurped and not loved as much as Ryker.
After all, Aaron may have automatically been made an uncle but knowing how to really BE an uncle is not automatic for Uncle Aaron at all!
We have certainly learned that fact over this past year.
And we have also learned to be thankful for every single bright spot that we see along this growing Uncle Aaron journey.
He Said What?! 