on a love like that

He came into the room with whole tears sliding down his cheeks and his lower lip trembling.  He looked around the room but looked lost, too many pairs of legs, too many tall grownups.  He found me sitting in a chair against the wall and slumped himself against me, rested his head on my arm.  I was sorry he was sad, but loved the feel of his weight leaning in on me.  Until him, I didn't know there could be a love like this*.

He nodded when I asked him if he was sad.  I asked why and his little shoulders shrugged.  "Are there just too many people in here?"  He nodded again.  I wrapped him up in a hug and whispered in his ear that there was no reason to be sad, that all of these people were here because they loved him and wanted to celebrate him.  I wiped a new tear away from his cheek with my thumb and kissed the top of his head.  He turned to look up at me, said "thanks auntie", caught sight of the pile of presents in the livingroom and broke into a run, sadness quickly forgotten.

My first nephew turned four yesterday.  I still count my brother bursting out of the maternity ward doors and announcing "it's a boy" as one of my favorite moments.  We went to Boston this weekend to celebrate his birthday and the birthday of his twin brothers who turned one last week.  The house was teaming and alive and happy and I was more in love with those three boys than I thought would ever be possible.  It was a good day.

I'd post photos of my three adorable nephews but am not sure how their parents feel about that...for now this will do.

*I can only imagine what it must be like when it's your own.