Twenty four years ago today I gave birth to the most amazing boy ever. A boy who has, throughout the years, tried my patience; who has made me laugh and has made me cry. Who has a quick wit and a ready smile. A boy who is so much like his dad, it’s a bit spooky. A boy who is now a man, but will forever be his momma’s little boy.
And every year on his birthday, the memories of years past never fail to bring a smile to my face and a tear (or two) to my eye. As always, I’ll sit alone and watch the movie I made for him when he graduated from high school and while laughing and crying at the same time, I’ll be remembering each and every event in his life . . . his first word, his first step, his first date, first car; every first he’s ever had. As moms, we never forget, do we?
For instance . . . the first time KJ took him to Canada, he was barely 5 years old and in my mind, way too young to go so far from his mom for that length of time. But off they went with the promise that nothing would happen. Lyns and I drove to OKC to spend a few days with my mom and while there, Ryan called. As we were chatting, he yelled out, “A bear!! It’s a bear, Mom!” A bear ? What the hell is he doing talking to me while a bear had him in sight for dinner? Next thing I know, he’s dropped the phone in pursuit of the bear. Well hell.....
KJ gets on the phone and calmly explains that some guy had been out bear hunting and was at that moment, dragging it (‘it’ being the dead bear) up to the lodge. Obviously, Ryan was beside himself at the prospect of meeting a dead bear up close and personal. What 5-year old boy wouldn’t be, right?
He returned home from that trip without a scratch on him and somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that the Canada trips with dad would become every year trips and memories would be made that Ryan would have for a lifetime. As he got older, he would inform me that what happened in Canada, stayed in Canada. Funny, I always thought that was Vegas!
There was the time we drove to Texas when he was about 2 1/2 to have Thanksgiving with my brother and his family. For some reason, Ryan decided he wasn’t going to sleep one night while we were there. Instead, he was going to cry and pitch a hissy fit, keeping the entire household up. When the crying finally stopped, (after about 3 hours....seriously), I brought him downstairs so he could see that the entire house was awake. I’m sure this is one of those memories that everyone in the family remembers!
For the first time in 24 years I’m not with Ryan on his birthday. This year he’s on a guy trip with his dad. In Vegas. Where, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” I reminded him that his dad is old, and not to overdo things. Not only will that not deter him, he saw right through my subterfuge to what it was....me using his dad as an excuse not to get wild and crazy. I also sent him a text message telling him to make good choices but to have a great time. He came back with, “I can’t make any promises on the choices thing, mom.” I reminded him that I’m the mom and as such, it’s my duty to toss those little reminders out to him. And having made those little reminders, I felt I had done my motherly duty and the rest was up to him.
To my son, fisherman extraordinaire, Happy Birthday. I’m incredibly proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished.
I love you ~
No comments:
Post a Comment