If there is one thing my youngest son has perfected it is winning the hearts of others, especially the ladies. His bright blue eyes, his unabashed smile, his attention to every detail allows others to fall in love with him in an instant. I have witnessed it over and over and, man, if I could bottle up his essence, I could make some serious bank.
It is more than his adorable looks and his witty sense of humor at six years old that steal hearts. I see something in Ben that brings him to truly invest in individuals. It is almost as if Ben can see their very essence.
Happy to see you!
Ben honestly cares about others. He remembers their likes and dislikes, he remembers their inside jokes, and he knows what impresses them. This week, while recovering from his third bout of RSV in two years, I watched my son woo the adults around him.
When his doctor entered the room, Ben beamed at the familiar face hiding beneath a white cotton mask. “You come to my HOUSE!” my little man shouted. Sure enough, he had, our pediatrician has two sons with Down syndrome, and has shared his knowledge with our chapter of Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona, of which I lead. These events have been held at our home.
Winning Hearts
He remembered, after she said it once, that nurse “Butterfly” likes to say, “Uh Oh Spaghetti-o”. He would make a point of sweetly saying the tag line, every time she would enter his room, bringing a smile to his nurse’s face. His giggles with Nurse “Baboon” (one of his favorite words) were pure and honest while he was trying to read her thoughts with her stethoscope. I loved hearing her giggles as she spent time enjoying my son while healing him. Even though most of her shift occurred while he was asleep, the time he had with Nurse “Gumdrop” was precious. He would search for any reason he could to push that call button to have her at his bedside. Winning their hearts throughout his stay.
Making Days Special
Butterfly, Baboon, Gumdrop? Who is responsible for these names? The answer would be, my son. This time, during our stay, Ben decided to begin handing out nicknames. Which he remembered each time the nurse walked into the room. I may have noticed some lingering, possibly hoping to receive the blessing, which, eventually would come their way.
Multiple times he would call out “Happy Birthday” as various hospital staff were leaving his room. Not because he thought it was their special day but because he wanted their day to be Special. After all, what day is more important to a six year old than that date set aside to celebrate the day they were born.
As cute and wonderful the nicknames and random birthday greetings sound, they were just a way Ben showed the importance of the individual. He genuinely cares for people. He invests in them, while at the same time getting his needs met. Oh, if I could naturally have a heart like that.
