They
say, when you add a baby to the world, a family is a made. A new mom, a
proud father, doting grandparents. But when you add ANOTHER baby to
the family.....something really special is born.
A big brother or sister.
Chance is 8....but he's
almost going to
be "almost 9". He has a July birthday . When people meet Chance,
they first notice his fierce red hair. I noticed so much more.
When
I arrived to take photos of his new baby brother, Chance immediately
extended his hand for a quiet and polite handshake and smile. I went
about preparing for the task that brought me to his home. He sat
quietly on the couch watching Alvin and the Chipmunks ( the new one, not
the cool old one from our day his parents and I decided) .
As
mom finished feeding the baby and dad changed him, I set out to find a
good photo spot - one with good lighting, near a heat vent and away from
the busyness of the household . When I found what I was looking for I
began setting up my things . Chance appeared in the doorway, asking if I
needed any help.
When a child asks to help, I always
find something for them to do. As it would go, I did need to test my
light and Chance could be my model.
During that 10
minutes, I learned a lot about him....where he went to school, that he
couldn't pick a favorite sport because he loves football and basketball
equally. I learned of his nerves for the basketball game he was on his
way to play. Like any 8 year old boy, he loves games and his favorites
he plays on the PS4.
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But what I really learned is that life from his point
of view changed pretty drastically ( he might have sleep with his door
closed and pillows over his ears when his brother is hungry at night)
and then it changed not all. Chance still has things to do and his
parents still have places to go. School still starts at 9 am every week
day, dinner still has to be made and eaten. So while life has shifted
dramatically, the same things still require love and attention and time
and Chance showed me that this is a pretty awesome deal, becoming a big
brother. He told me that, even though he has to share life with a tiny
new baby, he never feels lonely and , sometimes, when his brother is
really crying, he can play his game a little longer. Not too shabby, I
think.
