"It's a Beautiful Life"- Genevieve Galvan Frenes

Day 17 – I wrote this post years ago, then finished it today. It’s years apart, but it still speaks the same message…

My son is changing…right before my eyes. He’s eleven, soon to be twelve in December, and this summer something happened. He went from a young boy to a young man in just one summer.

How do I know?  I know because his voice was no longer the soft, quiet, high-toned voice of yesterday.  His voice is now low and blunt with words and expressions that are unfamiliar to me.  His discussions are mature, and he can talk about issues with his older sisters that I never knew he could.

And since he is my only son, well, that means I have to change, too.

I have to change the way I behave with him and what he might perceive as acting too babyish. It means that I sit with him as he plays his video games, even though I have no clue how to play…because it is what he likes to do. I must engage as a spectator simply to be close to him.

It means that even though I don’t necessarily want to go swimming at the moment, I will join him and my husband in the pool, just to hang out and hopefully not get hit in the head with their ball throwing wars or wrestling matches.

I have to change the way I give direction to him. I expect more of him and want him to learn from his father, because now, he is old enough to take on more responsibility.

He can handle directions and instructions; he can build things by himself. I see his creativity and his intelligence as he methodically analyzes situations or projects, and I’m proud of the young man developing before me.  He will know how to lead others if he can independently handle things himself.

I will always love him no matter what he does or does not do, and I must let him know everyday that I love him.  

I have to begin to speak to him about girls and what they will offer to him. I have to counsel him in what to look for in young women who might show him more than he’s ready to handle.

And I have to continue to talk to him about this issue, because I want him to find someone who is as kindhearted, intelligent, and wise as himself. He will make his choice one day, but my words will echo in his head and his heart. Our discussions will matter then, I hope…

My son is now fifteen…

He grows more handsome with each day and appears more mature than the common freshman.

He is still learning how to be a man as his body grows with the years. Muscles now fill those once-lean arms, and stubble grows on his face if he doesn’t shave for the day. His deep voice is now the norm, and yet sometimes, I long to hear my baby boy again. I can’t believe how much he’s changed.

I still see him as my boy.

He looks like my husband, but when he smiles, that smile is mine. He’s taller now and dresses more stylish than I imagined. Now, his looks matter much more than video games.

But inside my young man, he still carries that genuine heart, the one which I perceived was there as a young boy. He will love someone, someday, with all of his might, like he does with his parents and sisters.

And he has the maturity to know that he must improve himself, not for others, but for himself…just because it’s a part of who he is…his character.

I love this about my boy.

I know my young man is still maturing, and I want only the best for him. Yet eventually, I know he will find his own way, regardless of my beliefs or my words. I still hope he hears my words in his head…

I will always love him and I’ll let him know everyday that I love him. Although he will continue to change in these next few years, I will always see him as my boy.

Stay blessed everyone…