When it comes to discussing religion, I tend to become introspective and quiet. Maybe this quietness about Gabe's baptism is an outgrowth of that tendency of mine.
I am a faithful member of the LDS church. I'm a Latter-Day Saint. I am a Mormon. I know it, I live it and I love it. I am acutely aware that the world is full of people who don't share my beliefs. Maybe Gabe won't when he is older. I don't want to make decisions for him; he needs to make his own. But I will do my best to teach him everything I can, and to guide him toward a life of happiness and fulfillment.
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A few days ago, Charlie asked me to make pancakes for breakfast. I agreed and went to The Joy of Cooking for a recipe. Charlie asked if he could find it. (The Joy of Cooking is an enormous book, and Charlie isn't quite a reader yet.) I agreed and let Charlie apply himself to the task, fully expecting to help him find it in a few minutes after he expressed his frustration. Of course, since I'm taking the time to type this out, you suspect that he found the recipe. Well, he did! In a book of more than 1,100 pages, five-year-old Charlie was confident he would find a recipe I've never used before--and he did! It's a reminder to me that children often have more "going on" than we credit them.
