Bode. His sister monopolizes this blog. She is larger than life, stubborn, hilarious and independent. Her antics keep us laughing and humble us to our knees.
And then there is Bode. From Day 1, he was different. He was a snuggler who desperately needed to be connected to those he loved most. As he grows older, he is excitable and funny yet very sober and intense. And perceptive. He is always the first to console me when I’m sad, wiping away my tears with his blankie. Lately, our morning ritual of cuddling up together in bed consists of him asking me to sing Christmas songs to him as he gazes at me in wonderment.
He is the first person who has ever asked me to sing.
Of course, this is not shocking to anyone who has actually heard me do it.
On Jamie’s birthday, we rented Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. If you’re not familiar with these movies based on C.S. Lewis’ books, they are held in the fictional realm of Narnia. Is is a place where animals talk and magic is common as Christian theological symbols abound.
That afternoon, I put Bode down for a nap and Jamie, Hadley and I snuggled up to watch the movie. Bode woke up near the very end just as Aslan the Lion made his appearance.
Bode sat right up, pointed at Aslan and said, “Jesus.”
We didn’t think much of it and I tried to correct him and said, “Bode, Aslan is a lion.”
He shook his head emphatically, pointed again and said, “Dat is Jesus.”
And then it struck me. Aslan is the rightful ruler of Narnia. He sacrifices himself to spare Edmund in the first book, but is resurrected in time to aid the citizens of Narnia. Aslan is C.S. Lewis’ symbol of Christ.
“Bode, are you familiar with archetypes?” Jamie jokingly queried.
Bode ignored him and stated his case again. This time, we were sold.
And reminded of the scripture “And a little child shall lead them.”
A Merry Christmas to you all as we celebrate our Savior’s birth this season!
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 