Oh, don't get me wrong. And he has an ornery side, which can frustrate me no end, sometimes. He gets angry, throws temper tantrums and nags for stuff. He's the typical little brother. He gets into his brother and sister's things, runs when he gets caught and, occasionally, attempts to fib his way out of a jam.
ALL children do that.
When Matthew smiles, the sun pokes through all of those dark depressing clouds and shines brightly just for me. I'll never forget one night in the hospital, when he was still struggling with his weight problem and fighting for his life. Even though he was hooked-up to an IV, and was constantly being poked and prodded by a variety of people, he managed the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I think that this was the moment I knew he would be alright. His spirit hasn't diminished one little bit since then.