Lyonal

So all the people I have here have families like normal people. Their parents have names and their siblings have names and birthdays. Often the younger siblings are overlooked, but one... One sticks out. For some reason, from the moment I saw someone at McDonald's with his family, I knew it was him. Him...

Lyonal Diamond.


Yes, he is related to Lesko Diamond. He's his youngest brother. For some reason, unknown to me, Lyonal represents the joy, the mischief, the fun, and the strong will of childhood. He's the kind of kid I want to have.

Let me explain. Lyonal is 10 years old and in the 4th grade. He is the tallest kid in the class, and not by a little bit. He's tallest by over a foot. He is also very thin- a little string bean. He is full of energy and is always moving around or sitting in some awkward position to test his flexibility to the max. He is the kid who climbs on the outside of the play equipment and who could turn two toy dinosaurs into a magical world in about a minute. He is the kid with that cute mischievous laugh that is so readily available when he pulls a small prank on his brother or when he is sneaking up on his sisters. He is also the kid who jumps into your lap ready for a big hug and quick cuddle before he is off doing things with his ever-present energy.

He is the kid who wears the sporty, high-class gym pants everywhere, because jeans are not up for the demands of a child so full of energy. They have to be the pants with the stripes down the sides. Nothing else will do. Oh, and they have to be bright. He is the kid who sports the brightest tie-dye T-shirt anyone has ever seen, or the T-shirt with the most rugged of graphics- the ones displaying a love for bugs, wild animals, or anything with a high shock-value.

He is the kid with the beautiful blonde hair full of natural highlights, of medium length, that is very messy in the mornings and no matter how often it is brushed becomes messy again after 10 minutes of playing. He is the kid with the bright blue eyes that are always looking up, full of life and childlike excitement. They are outlined by a set of silver, crooked, and broken metal frames that have been more than once cast aside and been stepped on by innocent bystanders. He is the kid with the beautiful smile that shows off his large, uneven teeth that proves his age. Too young for braces and more teeth to lose and grow to even out his smile. For now it is perfect. He is the kid who looks a lot like his older brother, but in a different light; a unique light all his own. He is the kid who has the cutest little sneer when he is thinking hard about anything. He is always thinking about something, so he always has that sneer. It makes everyone smile.

He is the kid who is very smart. He does well in school and has a lot of friends. He is in the challenge classes for science and math, because the regular math and science is just too easy. He is the kid who missed one spelling word at the most every week and often aced the pretests no problem. He is the kid who knows the difference between "your" and "you're" and can spot a case of "its" vs "it's" any day. He is the kid who gets in the 98th precentile on all the standardized tests and is way above the average. He's SAT material. On the playground, he's the kid who hangs out with the handicapped students who have no friends. He is there to hold their hand or play a game with them or ask their aides more about them. He is the one who shows all his friends that everyone is awesome and unique. He is the one who never gets in trouble on the playground.

Even more important than all that, he's the kid who loves his friends and family. He has a great sense of caring for others and is more than willing to give up some of his time to help anyone who needs it. He has a mental bank of everyone's favorite foods and drinks, and has an excellent memory for birthdays and special events. He's also the kid who does what he's told with a smile on his face. He may do it his way, but it gets done. He is absolutely awesome.

He is my dream child. I hope I get to raise a child like Lyonal some day.