Family Man™: Extended Holidays

In the year 2000, while most of the country lit tree lights or candles for the winter holidays, our family anticipated the radiant arrival of a new baby. My sister and brother-in-law’s infant had been taking his sweet time to appear, but as the New Year ball hung in the balance, he arrived on Dec. 31. With carrot-hued hair, little Eli added a whole new color to our season, in fact, our lives. He was the first nephew for my wife and I; the first cousin for our son Benjamin.

With all the excitement, we called Benjamin from the hospital as we watched Eli get bathed in the hospital nursery by his dad Tim, who had the perpetual grin of a first-time father. On the phone, we told Benjamin, “You have a boy cousin!”

“A boy?” said our 2-1/2-year-old egoist. “But I wanted a girl!”

Despite our explanation that Eli would still be a lot of fun, Benjamin continued to protest.

The next day, I took Benjamin to the hospital. His eyes widened when he saw the baby held in my sister Kim’s arms.

“That’s my cousin,” he giggled. Benjamin’s voice rose in excitement with all kinds of questions: “How much does he weigh? Can I hold him? When’s he going to talk?”

When his giddiness had him dangerously pinballing between the baby and me, I took him into the hall for a respite, but even in the corridor Benjamin remained excited.

“You’re going to show Eli how to do a lot of things,” I told my son.