Sara has an awesome big brother.
David is sensitive and spiritual. His tender heart and his spiritual connection to heaven are, I believe, great God-given gifts. These special gifts have been especially apparent in his relationship with Sara.
From the moment he met Sara, David has embraced her with giddy excitement and unconditional love.
David is careful in his observations of Sara, attuning himself to her needs. He checks in on her regularly throughout the day, to see how she is--and smell her, he loves her smell. He even called us at her well-baby appointment to check on her. He examines her facial expressions, watches how she moves her body, and listens to her cries, noting differences. Then he puts those observations to good use:
He has figured out that her favorite song is "I Am a Child of God," and he will sing it to her with me--and this is from the boy who does NOT sing. Speaking of the boy who does NOT sing, he also sings her a song he made up about Mario bringing her a pizza pie and another, sung to the tune of "Christmas Bells," about her being born in St. Mary's hospital. That David sings to Sara is a sign of his deep devotion to her.
David is also especially adept at knowing when she wants a pacifier. He will hear her squeak from the other side of the house, and he will come running, insisting that she wants her binkie. Or he will be holding her and just by looking at her expression he can tell if she needs her binkie. Or he can tell if she doesn't want it. And he's always right!
Just last night Sara was a little fussy, and he wanted to hold her. He knew right away to bounce her and just how to do it. He turned into our super deluxe bouncy chair--and he settled her down for the evening. David is definitely the baby whisperer in our house.
However, David's relationship with Sara goes deeper than observations and watchfulness. They share some kind of special connection that I do not understand, but David is just beginning to. When we first brought Sara home, David wanted to hold her out of excitement and the novelty of it. But as the days (and now weeks) passed, he has developed an emotional need to spend to time with her each evening. David goes about his life as normal, running off to school, playing Legos and Minecraft at home, resisting his parents' insistence that he brush his teeth and clean his room. But, every evening, he pauses to spend time with Sara. It is no longer for the fun novelty of it. He holds her on his lap or sweetly sings to her in the swing because something deeper is drawing him to her. David and Sara already share something special, and he is drawn to reconnect with her every day.
Most special of all, David has heard the whisperings of heaven. This is his greatest gift, to understand how to feel the Spirit of God. And God has spoken to his heart about Sara. One evening he was quietly watching Sara while she was in the swing. I could see thoughtfulness and tenderness in his face. A few moments later, he rushed to me, tears in his eyes, and put his arms around me. "Mom," he said, "I know Sara and I are going to have good times together. I can feel it." He returned to Sara, with a look of contemplation and love on his face. A moment later, he rushed back to me, with more tears in his eyes. "I am so grateful Sara is in our family," he said, beginning to cry and burying his head in my arm. There was more to say, but what was in his heart was too big for words. I hugged him. He told me he knew Heavenly Father was telling him how special Sara was, that those feelings were from God. He was right.
I think in some profound way David may understand Sara more than I do. That in a way that cannot be verbalized, he can see who she is. And he understands her place in our family.
And he understands his role in her life.
Sara is very blessed to have David as her brother.
