I See You

For a while now, I have done this thing with Troy where I'll point two fingers at my eyes and then at him, and I'll say, "I see you." Or "Se vlepo" in Greek.  On one level, I do mean that I can physically see him and I'm keeping my eye on him, in case he decides to do any shenanigans.  But I also mean it on a deeper level.

I was one of those people that was very taken by the concept of "I see you" introduced in the movie Avatar.  In the Na'vi language, it is expressed Oel ngati kame, and it means not only do I physically see you, but that I see you in a spiritual sense.  I see the very essence of you, and I comprehend who you really are.

I read an interesting story about where this concept came from and how it made its way into the movie.  There are many tribes in Africa that greet each other in a similar manner.  When two of the natives approach each other, they stop and look directly into each other's eyes for 15 seconds.  Afterward, they say something to each other and go on their way.  A foreigner witnessed this while on a safari, and he asked his guide about it.  The guide explained that it's a greeting.  At the end of the gaze, one of them will say, "I see you," and the other will respond, "I am here."

That is how I mean it with Troy.  We are connected by a special bond, by something spiritual and deep.  I want to see my son for who he is.  I want to experience him and his life personally, as if it's part of my own.  I want to be in the moment, but I also want to be moved by it.  I want to open my heart to him and take his heart into me.  That's how much he means to me.