Almost there

Pete turns four on December 7th, and I'm starting to get excited! I think he's finally intellectually ready to understand that I love him and want to have a personal relationship with him. Even from before he was born, I have had a deep desire to express my love for him; to embrace him as my son, to provide for him and nurture him, to instruct him and discipline him. The only problem is that I don't want to force my love on him, thereby violating his free will. What if he doesn't want me to love him? What if he chooses to reject my love? For me to force it on him would be unjust and perhaps even sadistic. It would be hateful, not loving, for me to force my love upon him against his will.

So, I've been waiting. I keep looking for signs that he's ready. He's getting really good at his A-B-C's, and he can count *way* past ten. But, is he old enough to make a decision this important? What if he can't clearly articulate what it is that he is choosing? What if he is too young to fully understand what it means to make a life-long commitment to accept me as his own personal father?

So, I continue to withhold my love from him until he's ready and able to tell me that he wants it. Until then, I'll just have to keep waiting for the time when he decides whether or not he wants to be a Wittmann. Man, I can hardly wait!

—

(In other words, if you think a son needs to be able to articulate the propositional truth that he loves his Father and his Father loves him in order for it to *count*, I think you're nuts.)