Yes, he seems so small. Yes, his practice jersey is huge on him. Yes, the thought of possible injury makes me quake a bit on the inside. Yes, it’s one more step in holding him loosely.
But, y’all, the sheer joy on his face when he bolts through the door after practice warms this Mama’s heart.
He is doing what he loves, and it is beautiful.
Football is like life, it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work,
sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority. (~Vince Lombardi)
This morning as I pulled out our Children’s Bible, I teased my boys in my best Aussie accent (yes, I am a dork), “Oh, we’ve reached the part about Jesus’ birth. We don’t need to read that! It was just Christmas.”
Smiling back at me, Bear yelled, “NO!”
And Ash said, “You can’t skip parts of the Bible, Mom, we need all of it.”
Really? Why?
I love my Bear’s heart, “Because, Mom, it never gets old.”
–Rob Thomas, “These Small Hours”Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders,
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain.
Last night as I tucked him in bed, he hugged me long and hard. “Mom, having you here is what makes my birthday the best day ever.” I whispered my love for him thickly–this boy, this beautiful boy with a heart of gold.
I could tell it had snowed. There was a stillness settled around our house, so I checked to see and found a two-hour delay for the boys’ school. Rolling back over, I reveled in the quiet. Then I heard his steps–my Bear, coming to me. He leaned his head on my shoulder, “Mommy? I just don’t feel good.” As I turned, I pulled him to me. “My throat hurts.” I immediately felt the fevered head and knew I had a sick boy.
It was late when I checked on him, sitting on the edge of his bed and smoothing back freshly cut hair as he slept. I sat quietly next to him. Remembering.
It was seven years ago on New Year’s Day when the labor began late in the day. I wasn’t even sure if they were contractions because they were painless; in fact, they had to do a stress test to determine if it was really contractions or not. Two minutes apart but no pain. Other than a quick drop in blood pressure, his arrival was seamless, and within hours I was holding my Bear in my arms. Completely, beautifully, and utterly in love.