I'm a bit late with this post, but it was Malcolm's 23rd birthday yesterday and so I'm doing a birthday tribute - better late than never!
This is one of my favourite photos of Malcolm. It was taken about three years ago when Malcolm was visiting my brother and his family when they lived in Botswana. My sister-in-law took Malcolm on a day-trip to the village where they had stayed when they had first got to Botswana so they could start to learn the language. After some visiting, she leaned over to Malcolm and said, "Uh-oh! I think we are being given a chicken. I'm afraid of chickens - you have to take it." So Malcolm posed for a photo with this generous woman before taking the chicken. They brought the chicken back in a cardboard box and gave it to the maid, who of course knew what to do with a live chicken.
Following the tradition I started with my other two children, here are 23 fantastic facts about Malcolm to celebrate his 23rd birthday:
1. He has an amazing memory for stories, facts, and ideas; he can rattle off the most complex things that he has heard only once.
2. He is an amazing eater. Even from a young age he would eat anything I served up to him! I love feeding him as he usually wants seconds of whatever I make (I'm sure it's because I'm such a good cook).
3. He loves to cook and organize cooking sessions with his sibs.
4. He is a rambler. One of his favourite things to do is to walk. When he was in high school, he and a friend walked into Toronto from our house, not once but twice. The first time they walked 44 kms and the second time 60 kms.
5. He has a great heart. He and his friend raised $1500 for AIDS victims in Africa by walking into Toronto (see #4). They were in the newspaper and on the local news and everything. We were so darn proud.
6. He is a reader. He reads wide and he reads deep.
7. He is a thinker - about religion, philosophy, literature, history, ideas ...
8. He has simple tastes.
9. Strangely, for a young man of simple tastes, he loves to dress up -- jacket and tie for a special dinner or even, as is his custom, for his last exam at the end of term.
10. He is a great judge of character. After all, look at his wonderful choice in fiancée.
11. He is an excellent big brother. He spends mucho time with both his sister and brother, who look up to him and love him dearly. They talk and laugh together by the hour.
12. He loves to travel. He's been coast-to-coast in Canada, to a dozen states in the US, to the United Kingdom, and to Botswana and South Africa.
13. He is honest.
14. He doesn't care about appearances or social standing.
15. He is sympathetic and a friend to the underdog. He is the kind of person who could work happily with the elderly, the poor, the homeless, the handicapped, really anyone who our society deems as different. He wants to be a high school teacher, so I'm thinking that should work!
16. He is a natural leader. As a camp councillor his campers loved him.
17. He is a hard-worker at school and has done well as a result.
18. He has a strong faith. He takes the Bible seriously and attends up to three different church services every week.
19. He is good at explaining even very complex ideas.
20. He has a good sense of humour. He regales us with jokes from movies and shows he has seen and funny stories from his friends at camp and university.
21. He is a coffee connoisseur. Instant will never do!
22. Before he was a coffee connoisseur, he was a tea connoisseur. Actually, he's a bit of a tea and coffee snob -- and he's infected his sister and brother with his enthusiasm. Now he's expanded his refined taste to include the best imported beer. He's slowed down by the price, but he gets to share his Dad's well-stocked selection.
23. He's a fantastic canoeist. He has been on at least half a dozen river canoe trips, ranging from 5 to 12 days in length. For most of those trips he was the leader, so I guess he knows a thing or two as they all came back alive.
There you go, 23 amazing facts about our wonderful son.
May you have a wonderful year, Malcolm!
2. He is an amazing eater. Even from a young age he would eat anything I served up to him! I love feeding him as he usually wants seconds of whatever I make (I'm sure it's because I'm such a good cook).
3. He loves to cook and organize cooking sessions with his sibs.
4. He is a rambler. One of his favourite things to do is to walk. When he was in high school, he and a friend walked into Toronto from our house, not once but twice. The first time they walked 44 kms and the second time 60 kms.
5. He has a great heart. He and his friend raised $1500 for AIDS victims in Africa by walking into Toronto (see #4). They were in the newspaper and on the local news and everything. We were so darn proud.
6. He is a reader. He reads wide and he reads deep.
7. He is a thinker - about religion, philosophy, literature, history, ideas ...
8. He has simple tastes.
9. Strangely, for a young man of simple tastes, he loves to dress up -- jacket and tie for a special dinner or even, as is his custom, for his last exam at the end of term.
10. He is a great judge of character. After all, look at his wonderful choice in fiancée.
11. He is an excellent big brother. He spends mucho time with both his sister and brother, who look up to him and love him dearly. They talk and laugh together by the hour.
12. He loves to travel. He's been coast-to-coast in Canada, to a dozen states in the US, to the United Kingdom, and to Botswana and South Africa.
13. He is honest.
14. He doesn't care about appearances or social standing.
15. He is sympathetic and a friend to the underdog. He is the kind of person who could work happily with the elderly, the poor, the homeless, the handicapped, really anyone who our society deems as different. He wants to be a high school teacher, so I'm thinking that should work!
16. He is a natural leader. As a camp councillor his campers loved him.
17. He is a hard-worker at school and has done well as a result.
18. He has a strong faith. He takes the Bible seriously and attends up to three different church services every week.
19. He is good at explaining even very complex ideas.
20. He has a good sense of humour. He regales us with jokes from movies and shows he has seen and funny stories from his friends at camp and university.
21. He is a coffee connoisseur. Instant will never do!
22. Before he was a coffee connoisseur, he was a tea connoisseur. Actually, he's a bit of a tea and coffee snob -- and he's infected his sister and brother with his enthusiasm. Now he's expanded his refined taste to include the best imported beer. He's slowed down by the price, but he gets to share his Dad's well-stocked selection.
23. He's a fantastic canoeist. He has been on at least half a dozen river canoe trips, ranging from 5 to 12 days in length. For most of those trips he was the leader, so I guess he knows a thing or two as they all came back alive.
There you go, 23 amazing facts about our wonderful son.
May you have a wonderful year, Malcolm!
Happy Birthday Malcolm!! He sounds like a wonderful person and a perfect son!!
ReplyDeleteKat :)
He sounds like a wonderful young man Grace! You must be so proud. I only hope that he does not become a wine connoisseur, because, well, his poor pocket book!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful birthday tribute and what a wonderful thing to do for your kids.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm sounds like a great young man.
Belated Happy Birthday and may his life be filled with lots of love and happiness.
FlowerLady
Happy Birthday Malcolm!! Grace, it sounds like you have much to be proud of- good job Mom!
ReplyDeletexoxo Pattie
I love how he "has simple tastes" but is a "tea and coffee snob". That's priceless. What an amazing son you've raised. He sounds like a wonderful and very interesting person. My son is only 13 and has some of those qualities but the rest are far from developed. Hopefully in the next 10 years, the rest will develop as well. I enjoy these posts but I guess we'll have to wait another year for an update.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stellar young man! As impressive as his remarkable characteristics (and character) are your succinct descriptions of them. God bless Malcolm.
ReplyDelete