Today is grandson Jonathan’s 11th birthday. The family celebrated Saturday, having fun at a local Y where kids could run and jump and throw themselves into a huge foam pit. I snapped pics that afternoon, to share in today’s birthday blog post.
Plants vs Zombies is one of Jonathan’s favorite video games, and it made a fun party theme. From the cake to the piñata to the cutouts, stuffed figures and invitations, zombies and plants ruled the room. My daughter Elissa made adorable party invitations for Jonathan to take to school. He was very proud of those invites. If a child knew in advance that he or she would not be able to attend the party, Jonathan politely asked for the invitation back. He didn’t want those works of art going into the trash! I love that he thinks so creatively!
Here’s what I found when I looked up Jonathan’s name:
“Jonathan, you are bluntly honest, good natured, brilliant and inventive, full of grand ideas. You are courageous, determined, original and creative. You have leadership abilities, especially when you desire to rally people around a particular cause. You have so many ideas that sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in positions of authority, and you will prosper most in intellectual, creative or professional fields. You are a bold thinker.
You look for opportunities to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically a peacemaker, wanting everyone to get along. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideas, wealth or work with. You have developed your intuition and can rely on your instincts. You can live a life of great happiness if you stay true to who you are.”
I see Jonathan in those words! This bright young man understands much about who he is and the gifts that he has to offer to the world. He is inventive, creative and generates a steady stream of clever ideas. One of the things that I most appreciate about Jonathan is his fearlessness in carrying out his ideas. If his plans go well, great! If his plans don’t come together the way he envisioned them, he adapts, or scraps the plan and begins again.
He does appreciate peace and harmony in his life. That’s the environment he thrives in. Jonathan loves his family, enjoys having a close circle of friends, and converses well with his peers and with adults. I love to listen to him as he shares about his lastest creative endeavor and what’s going on in his life.
One of the ways that Jonathan expresses who he is, is through his YouTube channel. His fearlessness extends to being in front of a camera. He is totally relaxed and at ease as he narrates his moves through a game or tries out mystery jelly beans for his audience. I admire his creativity and his dedication to his art.
Recently Jonathan invited me to join him in front of the camera, a guest appearance on his Classy Guy YouTube program. He planned the show, which involved creating an iconic cupcake from a game called Five Nights at Freddy’s. I chose to set aside my reluctance of being filmed, and enter into this amazing child’s world. Jonathan made that easy. We had a fun afternoon, and the cupcakes were a delicious success.
I look forward to seeing where this young man goes in life. I know that he will choose his own path, find his own way, and enjoy the journey, traveling as his authentic self. Great happiness will be his, indeed. I have no doubts.
Happy birthday, Jonathan. I love you!
