Friday, November 24, 2006

The Birthday Boy

Seems like only yesterday!

This young man is such a gift. I have learned so much about myself through interacting with him and worrying about him and loving him and listening to him and caring about him. Parenting him has taught me how critical it is to speak carefully and lovingly - I learned that from my mistakes. He needs me to persevere, to pressure, to permit, to guide, guard and giggle. He needs me to ensure he eats right, sleeps enough and gets where he needs to go. He needs me to help him learn how to do all those things for himself. He wants me to trust him, to be confident that he won't make stupid choices and to relax about girls. That's not so much about trusting him as it is about trusting myself to let him experience the consequences of his choices.


How necessary it is to recognize and savor the often-fleeting milestones that so easily go unrecorded and may never come again. Let me hold you longer.
I hope we live until we're both old and gray. I pray that I will always speak the truth in love and that his heart and his ears will always turn toward home, follow the truth and hear only the love.

2 comments:

  1. I was thinking this week that I was 14 when you and Brent were married. Seeing Andrew as infrequently as I do, it doesn't seem that long to me since that baby picture was taken, and I have to remind myself of what I was like at 14 to realize that your baby's almost grown up! As a kid, I thought a lot of time passed between 14 and 18. As an adult, it seems more like a blink. All this to say, I think Andrew's a great kid, and you've been faithful in parenting him in the ways of the Lord. Your reflections are touching as I relate them to my own kids. Paige is all bones and freckles now, and Max is shedding the last traces of "babyhood." Not sure how ready I am to say goodbye to all this!
    Brad

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  2. I know - that's why that book "Let me hold you longer" is so poigniant.

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