My son

Gift from God

   When I was young, I always knew I would give birth to a boy with blond hair and blue eyes. Because of this certainty, I included the text "predestined, so he came" on his birth announcement card. Long before it was officially confirmed that the baby would be a boy, I had already registered him at a daycare center (you had to reserve a spot in advance) using his full name.

I cried when I learned I was pregnant—from the hospital all the way home—and, upon arriving home, fell to my knees to thank God for this wonderful gift.

My son has three first names. One of them means "bear," another means "lion" (French pronunciation), and the third is a traditional Christian name. The latter name is from a skilled tribe mentioned in the Bible—known for their expertise with the sword, their ability to shoot arrows and sling stones with either hand.

Every evening, I would read the Bible to him (as well as fairy tales). Every Wednesday, I would take him to the library, where we spent two hours reading books before taking him to his martial arts class. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a son apply for the army—bearing a name linked to a skilled army of God—and discovering that, without me ever telling him, he knows who Simo Häyhä is.

In this house, I installed a swing on the front door, which instantly made Jr. a favorite in our new neighborhood. I also brought in a large second-hand sofa for the children to freely jump on and have fun.

chatting with son while him being deployed. I have no worries. Yes, Beketje hehe 

Oh… and I praise the Lord for blessing me with a son. I would certainly have loved to have a daughter as well, but life is so much harder for a woman. The physical challenges—hormones, being physically weaker—and a lifetime of being judged solely on her appearance are just terrible.