Dear Son Growing up Before My Very Eyes,
I’m watching you transition to an adolescent before my very eyes. You are completely enthralled by anything that the bigger boys do. You talk constantly about Minecraft, YouTube stars Carter and Stephen Sharer, and your friends. You are spending so much more time with other people than you are spending with your family now.
Just yesterday you would fall asleep during dinner after a long day at daycare and watching Daddy’s basketball game. You would snuggle right in for a cuddle any time during the day. Now you have become stingy with your hugs, and you prefer to give high fives to your grandparents instead of hugs.
A few short years ago, your perfect days were filled with zoo trips and playing Paw Patrol for hours. Now they are filled with marathon LEGO builds and perfecting the “sick moves” on your motorized scooter and telling me how “epic” they were.
Photo by Adrienne K. Photography
I still see glimpses of that sweet little boy when I see you get very excited about going to Build-a-Bear to pick out a new cuddle partner. I see the self-conscious adolescent begin to appear when you catch a glimpse of an older child looking at you while you carry your new friend. You hand it over for me to carry while in public, but can’t wait to play with it when you get in the car. Your dad and I both melt when you still call us “Mama” and “Dada.” We are so happy that you have not quite realized that those names might be a bit beneath you.
I treasure the times when you ask me to lay with you and talk about your day at night before bed. Your mouth is moving a mile a minute and saying so many things I don’t understand at all about characters in the current Diary of a Wimpy Kid book you’re reading or your plans to build a basketball court on your new Minecraft world.
You’re growing and changing, but when I look at you I see that tiny baby that made me a mother. Instantly I remember the long days and even longer nights that brought us to where we are today. I can see that tiny mole on the side of your face that was barely visible as a newborn, but is now something that makes you special.
Some days it is really hard to grow up. You like the greater independence you are experiencing, but some days are just a struggle. Now that you are more aware of yourself, you are learning hard lessons of taking responsibility for your actions, thinking before acting, pain that sometimes comes with risk (Hello “sick moves” on the motorized scooter,) and larger consequences. I have to let you in on a little secret, Mommy and Daddy don’t know what we are doing. We are doing the very best we can to teach you to be kind, helpful, compassionate, and love others and yourself. You are teaching us about the importance of fun, silliness, patience, and of course how to be expert negotiators. We are learning so many new things along our journey of parenthood. We love to relive the sweet, silly, and funny moments from days gone by, but we are choosing to embrace the challenges we both are facing as you grow and change.
So sweet boy who made me a mom, I really wish I could stop time and soak up every single snuggle before you stop sharing them all together. My wish for you is to keep telling me all the things, even when I don’t understand them, to understand that you are loved immeasurably, and don’t ever stop believing that you will play basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and the Boston Celtics. The sky is the limit, buddy.
Oh, one last thing….as much as I would like to keep you little, the reality is that it’s time to give you your adolescent advice: it just might be time to start becoming aware that your feet stink, and you might need deodorant.
Love,
Mama
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