I have a great life. It's not always been great (lots of bumps and bruises from the growing up days and my own stupidity in my adult days), but it is right now. And I am so grateful.
Boy2 (my new easier-to-type moniker for my youngest son) stayed home with a cold today--no, I'm not the mom who coddles her kids at the first sign of snot. But I am the mom of the kid who never runs fever when he is seriously ill with, say, pneumonia and two insane ear infections but does run a fever with an itsy-bitsy virus. But I digress...
Since Boy 2 was home but not particularly ill, I decided to run the errands I had planned and just take him along. We stopped to buy Boy 1 (the older son, of course) a new white dress shirt for his choir concert since the new white dress shirt he has is already too small. Alas, I had to buy it in the Men's Department. Albeit a Men's Small, a Man Shirt nonetheless.
There are things that mark the lives of parents. The firstborn, the first steps, the first day of school, and, now, the first Man Shirt. It was no real surprise to me--Boy 1 has been in the margin between Boy's and Men's for some months now--but it apparently surprised Boy 2. For, as I was looking for the Men's Small, I glanced down to see him tearing up.
Quickly kneeling in front of him, I asked Boy 2 what was wrong. His response was a lip-quivering, "I don't want [Boy 1] to go to high school next year." I gently hugged Boy 2 and asked a few probing questions. Turns out, Boy 2 loves Boy 1 so much he doesn't want him to change, to grow up and move away. The first Man Shirt and the first day of high school (still 9 months off) serve Boy 2 as reminders that Boy 1 will not always be around for Boy 2 to play with, fight with, aggravate, and count on.
The tears passed quickly and we moved on to look for a Christmas present for our sweet little baby friend we keep each week (still looking for an easy to type moniker for this wee one). But for me the moment will last a long time as I treasure it up in my heart.
I am grateful for a life full enough of such moments that I can truly call it great.
I think you have awesome kids!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story and insight into the special relationship your kids have with each other. It also sounds like they have a pretty good relationship with their parents too. I'm loving your blog :) By the time this journey to 40 is over...I'm going to want to move up our furlough so I can come have a party with you to celebrate the big day (look at me...inviting myself!)
ReplyDeleteThis takes me down memory lane. One day I heard sobbing coming from the upstairs bathroom. Molly and Brad had rooms upstairs. Grant came running out of his room downstairs and yelled,"Mom, Molly is hurting Brad!" Turns out that Molly had said something about not being here next year (since she was going to college), and Brad innocently asked where she was going to be. When he heard her answer, he started bawling. That was the first time it had occurred to him what going to Pepperdine was about. Then in the fall when she left, his teacher commented that she thought he was depressed. He loves his Molly....still.
ReplyDeleteNicole, you come anytime. I'll happily plan my party around your furlough!
ReplyDeleteSandy, what a sweet, sweet story! Few things move me like seeing my boys do loving and caring things for one another. The fact that they love each other after the way they treat each other, that is proof-positive that all things ARE possible with God!