Wise Words from an Eight-Year-Old
I went over to Brian and Conor's this afternoon to say a brief hello/goodbye before I left for school again. Since I don't see Conor very regularly anymore, I am always taken aback with how much he has grown and of course, I reminisce on all the memories of babysitting him over the years... For those of you that don't have the pleasure of knowing this fine young fellow, he is the little brother I asked for but never got. As he has aged, he has become my friend and pal - I've even asked him to play with me sometimes! As his primary babysitter for the 8 years of his life, I have had the joy watching this young genious grow, develop, question, and explore. When I was with him today, I saw his growth in a new way and it surprised me. He spoke words that others six times his age might never utter. Brian joked (semi-serious) that Conor is his personal budget manager and does not resist telling his father not to buy something if he thinks it is unnecessary or too expensive. I told Conor that this is a trait to keep and that this wisdom will take him far! I said, 'I should hang around you more often Conor, I have student loans to pay off, and how do you think I should go about that?' He assertively replied: 'Buy what you need, and not what you want'. Wow! Talk about gleaning wisdom from people of all ages! Though it's not the first time that any of us have heard that, it means something totally new hearing it from the tongue of an eight-year-old... It's a bit convicting to realize that the more years you have doesn't always mean more clarity in seeing what is right and true. Conor has always been beyond his age in smarts and knowledge, but this shows he is in wisdom too. Oh, and... one more thing: he's got flair like no other... just look at that cheeky smile!