You are a great kid. I love being your dad. You are my youngest son and yet you play older brother to three of my daughters. And you are a good big brother. You love Ophelia and look out for her. You don't make trouble for anyone who doesn't deserve it and don't look for trouble, but welcome it warmly enough when it comes looking for you.
You are solid. You are not named rocky for nothing. You are firm and solid and resolute. You are not easily shaken or dissuaded. But you are also very compliant. You are not a tough kid in the sense of making life difficult, but you are a tough kid in the sense that you make it difficult for others to rattle you.
That said, you care. You think about what people say and consider it. You are not an unfeeling rock of a man, but a meek man of mettle. You are strong, but under control. You are not strong because you don't care, but strong because you do without being tossed to and fro.
You like to mix things up. You frequently follow Finneas around, but don't often lag too far behind despite the fact that he has several years and inches on you. Because your older brothers are also bigger and taller than you, you often get yourself, quite literally, in over your head; but because you're a tough nut to crack, you don't let it keep you from the fray.
You taught yourself to ride bike recently. You found a slab of concrete at the Spratt's house and took it upon yourself to learn. Now you can be found pedaling up and down the street when the weather permits. When you're not biking, you're skateboarding. Either way, you like scooting around and haven't let a tumble or two keep your from getting back up and at it.
You don't take yourself too seriously and can be silly and have fun without feeling insecure. You can wear a bow tie and dance without worrying what it looks like. You can wear a dinosaur mask while sitting through read-a-louds because you don't mind.
You are good at being a boy. You enjoy it and you're good at it. It's fun to watch.
As much get up and go as you have, you do power down, eventually. You live hard and sleep hard. You often fall asleep on the floor during Story Club, giving me the privilege of carrying you down stairs and tucking you into bed. I know these days won't last forever, but they are fun while they last.
You are smart. You pick up on things easily and make sense of things quickly. You ask good questions and are thoughtful. You turn things over in your mind and take your turn in sharing them. You don't overshare, but you aren't a closed book either. You are happy to talk about you're thinking about, but also to sit back and think some more about it if everyone else is already talking.
You are polite. You wait your turn. You knock before entering into a room with a closed door. You ask, "May I?" instead of "Can I?" You're a good kid. You're easy to like. You are well loved by others as well and are often a fan favorite with other families.
You are also funny. You have a good sense of humor and frequently make hilarious observations. Sometimes you know you're being funny and other times you're funny without knowing it, but you're always a joy to be around.
I love being your dad and like being around you. I thank God for these days that I get to spend so much time with you. You are growing in your faith and faithfulness. You love God and take His Word seriously. You do your best to sing the songs and listen to the sermons on Sundays. You like church and you love your Lord. You often pray at night to marry a good and godly woman and to be able to teach your kids about the Gospel someday. You also pray that you'll get to drive a dump truck. I hope all those prayers come true. The world could use more men like that.
May you be a cannonball for the Kingdom of Christ, destroying demonic strongholds and carrying off captives from Christ from every corner. May you, like the cannonball, change the shape of the world around you without being shaped by it.
I love you, Rocco. Always have. Always will. You are my son and you are my brother in Christ. I love getting to share meals you every evening and sharing communion with you every Lord's Day.
Happy Birthday, Rocco. You were so good at being a 6 year old boy, you've been promoted to being a 7 year old boy. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you this year.
Love, Dad.
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