Caramel

I might never get tired of this one I love you. Hearing it or writing about it. Actually, it’s Bah-bu, a two-syllable sentence which in my dear son’s vocabulary means I love you. And which is officially his first sentence.

It’s life-sustaining, and I’m breathing it like clean sanitized oxygen. It’s an analgesic, the magic salve to my sore, aching muscles and joints. Music to the ears, sweeter and more pleasant than any of Jose Mari Chan’s. I’m so addicted to it. Everyday, I’m sinfully craving it like the heavenly Haagen Daaz.

To-die-for, that one line (but then I don’t wanna die just yet because I still wanna hear it over and over again). And coming from a chaste one-year-old kid, it’s even made more special, it’s sooo endearing. So moving. I’m always swept off my elephant-skinned feet and blown out of my wits every time I hear him say it. I’m inclined to think that it must be powerful enough to melt all metals.

It’s a magnet that pulls you back home. When I’m in the office and I call my mother and she gives me the chance to talk with dear tot, hearing him say Bah-bu makes me want to abandon my work and go rushing back home. That powerful. And my theory is, it makes hubby want to come rushing home, too. It certainly is even meaner than my killer mango float (shameless ad!).

Although I‘m raised in a happy, loving home, I just wasn’t brought up saying I-love-yous all the time. My parents unquestionably showed love to five of us sibs in all different ways other than saying it. No, it’s not a taboo or something like that. It’s just that saying it is not really on a daily basis, it’s somewhat limited to certain occasions like a birthday or Christmas and the like. Or when you’re away and you call the folks at home, you sometimes end the call with that. Or it’s just seen scribbled on notes and cards. It surely felt awkward saying it just-because. You’d only get the are-you-okay-or-has-the-alien-from-mars-gotten-into-you kind of look on their faces.

But no, I’m not blaming my parents. They are just like that, and my environment is like that, so that’s just that. I have no issues whatsoever with that because I understand them. Maybe not completely, but I understand their ways.

Now with Matt, it’s a different story. Hubby and I silently agreed, and we really are one in showing dear tot affection verbally, and even physically to some degrees. Maybe because we’re just *throat clearing* naturally affectionate *wink* Is it called teaching by example? I hope so.

And are we successful? Let’s just say we’re working on it. But what do you call, waking up in the morning with dear kiddo poking and saying “Mownin!” or shoving a battery-operated car while saying, “Mama, e on” but because it’s too early and you’re feeling lazy, you refuse to budge and move a muscle and then dear kiddo devices something wicked that would make you pry your lids wide-open. And that, my friends, is to finally reach out and plant a big wet kiss on the face double with a sweet “Bah-bu.” Rewarding. Gloriously fulfilling.

Even when you’re too tired and sleepy, you just have to really wake up and return the gesture. Otherwise, he’ll go on and on like that. At times, I just love teasing him a bit more and play stiff and still as a log because I know exasperated Matt would give me MORE than a once over! Hah, one scheming Mama, that I am.

Anyway, this whole thing is slowly changing a family who’s not accustomed to all this sweetness. When Matt says Bah-bu to my mother or my sister AJ, she just have to reply. Because as I’ve said to ignore him means to suffer the consequence of not hearing the end of it. Until he can coax an acceptable response from you, he’d tail you and say the line over and over again. I even heard my mother coaching and prodding my son (as if he needs prodding) to say I-love-you to his Papa, who’s on the other end of the phone. I’ve been hearing people in the house saying I love you more and more.

I’m just concerned when Matt says it to people who are not used with this kind of talks. Because one time he said it to my niece (his cousin) over the phone but got no response from her. And so I explained to her but she didn’t get it and so she didn’t say it. As expected, Matt said it again and again and for long. Still nothing, so he just stopped. That kinda bugged me because I’m not sure kiddo Matt can already take in the complexities of the love-begets-love concept.

But then let love worry about love, because soon or sooner, he will learn the complexities and all and then he will know by himself that love certainly begets love. For now, I truly hope we’re giving him a good start because that's all that really matters .