I like Elijah. He is our one-of-a-kind, goofy, moody, compassionate, talented center child (a re-framing of his position as middle child). He tries just about every off-the-wall skill he comes across…stilts, unicycle, harmonica, ventriloquism, puppeteering, kip-ups, card-throwing…and probably many more. I’m pretty sure he does NOT have aspirations to join a circus, but maybe he just wants to keep his options open.

In addition to his more unusual interests, Elijah does have many “traditional” skills. This year he has become quite fond of painting, and he quietly took over a space in our hallway to be his mini painting studio…complete with precarious stacks of paintings and blank canvases, an ever-present in-progress painting, messy palettes, half-used tubes of paint, and more. He also continues to practice guitar for long hours, broken up occasionally by the ukulele, and has started to do wood-burning art. He conceived of and created an elaborate knight costume also, made of dense foam, clay foam, fake fur and some fantastic painting to give it the look of old metal. On the practical side, Elijah is becoming well-versed in our various wood-working tools and can be tasked with cutting, planing, sanding, or drilling something with minimal instruction. In school, despite struggling somewhat with math and sciences in previous years, he is actually doing a good job in calculus and chemistry this year.

There is some tension developing in our usually care-free kiddo, though, as he begins to try to figure out what direction to take once high school is done. He knows that his interests and particular skill sets are not typically big money-makers in the real world, and though he is capable at just about everything, he doesn’t want to resign himself to a lifetime of work that holds no interest for him. We pray about it, and tell him he has time, but it still weighs on him…part of having a sensitive, thoughtful, personality, I guess.

That sensitivity and thoughtfulness come out in a lot of other ways, too. He values encouragement from others, and because of that, I think, he is becoming more aware of the need to encourage others. His position as younger sibling has made him more compassionate toward his younger siblings, and though he is accepted as one of the “older” kids (all except him who are now adults!) and joins in all of their activities, he goes out of his way to make time just for his younger siblings, and is often patient and gracious with them.

Elijah’s heart for the Lord is also growing. Much of his guitar playing is worship songs, some of which he has written himself. He participates in theological discussions with confidence and insight, and he is learning to apply his biblical perspective to circumstances in our world.

And, as always, Elijah is quick-witted, full of energy, and laughs easily. He loves our dogs, and randomly picks them up and carries them around like babies, which they seem more than agreeable to. He brings so much laughter and creativity to our home, and I love my Buddy more than words can say. It is my privilege to be his mom and to celebrate his sixteen years today.