As I write this post this evening, I am writing on the last night of my life as the mother of a pre-teen. Tomorrow, my eldest son becomes a teen!
So much about him has changed over the past few months. He has grown over 8" in a year! He is now taller than his mom. He wears a men's size 10 shoe. His voice is deep. He is slowly adopting the mannerisms of a young man. And yet...
He is still a boy in some ways. Still needs his mom and dad when he's sick. Calls for our assurance when a sheriff's deputy shows up at the door. (See this link for more on that!) Still fights with his little brother over silly things. And still...
He is not my little boy any more. It is a joyful thing, yet not. It is difficult to let go of his childhood, and yet I wouldn't wish it otherwise.
A few months ago, my husband asked our son ("Harry" for blogging purposes) the names of some men whom he felt had had the greatest influence in his life. This past weekend, three of those men joined my husband and Harry for a night of "initiation into manhood," so to speak. They all went out to a restaurant together, and enjoyed a time of laughter and fellowship. Then they went to a house owned by our church. Each of the men shared thoughts with Harry about what it means to be a teenager and their insights on growing into a man of God. Each had a different perspective, and each shared some precious gems of advice. At the end of their time together, they gathered around him and prayed for him. I hope and pray that he cherishes that evening for the rest of his life. As a bonus, he received a letter from another of his life-influencing men the next day, one who lives too far away to make the journey for a weekend. Who were the men he chose? Both of his grandfathers...a former pastor, and true friend...his uncle...and his own dad. (He had suggested a couple of others, but we had to draw the line somewhere, as it would have become cost-prohibitive for us!)
As he walks into his life as a young man, I do have some sadness for the loss of my "little boy". But I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. I do pray that this weekend will be an inspiration to him as he grows into manhood and into a man of God...
Happy birthday, my son...with all my love...
(This isn't a real picture of him, but it certainly reminds me of what he looked like about 12 years ago! He even had a shirt similar to this one!)
He is still a boy in some ways. Still needs his mom and dad when he's sick. Calls for our assurance when a sheriff's deputy shows up at the door. (See this link for more on that!) Still fights with his little brother over silly things. And still...
He is not my little boy any more. It is a joyful thing, yet not. It is difficult to let go of his childhood, and yet I wouldn't wish it otherwise.
A few months ago, my husband asked our son ("Harry" for blogging purposes) the names of some men whom he felt had had the greatest influence in his life. This past weekend, three of those men joined my husband and Harry for a night of "initiation into manhood," so to speak. They all went out to a restaurant together, and enjoyed a time of laughter and fellowship. Then they went to a house owned by our church. Each of the men shared thoughts with Harry about what it means to be a teenager and their insights on growing into a man of God. Each had a different perspective, and each shared some precious gems of advice. At the end of their time together, they gathered around him and prayed for him. I hope and pray that he cherishes that evening for the rest of his life. As a bonus, he received a letter from another of his life-influencing men the next day, one who lives too far away to make the journey for a weekend. Who were the men he chose? Both of his grandfathers...a former pastor, and true friend...his uncle...and his own dad. (He had suggested a couple of others, but we had to draw the line somewhere, as it would have become cost-prohibitive for us!)
As he walks into his life as a young man, I do have some sadness for the loss of my "little boy". But I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. I do pray that this weekend will be an inspiration to him as he grows into manhood and into a man of God...
Happy birthday, my son...with all my love...
(This isn't a real picture of him, but it certainly reminds me of what he looked like about 12 years ago! He even had a shirt similar to this one!)
1 comment:
Oh I cant imagine what it must be like to see your son grow into a man. I have a daughter who is now a woman but I have never taken a son to adulthood.
What a neat thing for you to do for his birthday. Thats amazing!
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