My oldest son turned 13 last month!
You know he's growing up when he asks for a trifle instead of birthday cake. I was thrilled!
This week I got to accompany him to school for "shadow a student day." It made me happy that he actually wanted me there! As I followed him around from class to class I watched him interact with his friends and even saw a couple girls who I thought may have been flirting with him!
During the classes, I sat back and tried to see him not as a mother looking at her son but as a stranger observing him for the first time. I was surprised at how old he suddenly seemed to me. A lot of the books I enjoy reading are the "coming of age" stories--very often about boys and girls who are his age right now. I realized with a start that he is living his coming of age story right now--in this moment, day by day, week after week. I wonder what kind of mother I'd be in his book. I'm a little afraid of the answer and know that I need to be better and more understanding--especially after going back to junior high for a day and remembering how it felt to be 13!
A few things about my grown-up boy: He is creative and enjoys building things. He also is very talented at drawing--maybe it's because he's a lefty. He's great at math and loves reading. His favorite books are fantasy. He is kind and sensitive. He's discovering his own music he likes and my biggest bargaining chip is taking away his iPod.
13 years ago I remember wishing I could freeze time and keep him just the same. Now as we talk, and he makes me laugh, and I listen to his ideas, I see him standing on the threshold between child and adult. I'm excited to see him move forward and I'm sad for how quickly these last 13 years have gone.
A few things about my grown-up boy: He is creative and enjoys building things. He also is very talented at drawing--maybe it's because he's a lefty. He's great at math and loves reading. His favorite books are fantasy. He is kind and sensitive. He's discovering his own music he likes and my biggest bargaining chip is taking away his iPod.
13 years ago I remember wishing I could freeze time and keep him just the same. Now as we talk, and he makes me laugh, and I listen to his ideas, I see him standing on the threshold between child and adult. I'm excited to see him move forward and I'm sad for how quickly these last 13 years have gone.
2 comments:
This was lovely to read, Erin! I remember that we started this motherhood journey together and it's fun to see some similarities in our kids -- Kasia also loves drawing and is also a lefty, and loves reading and fantasy books (maybe it was all those books we accumulated together before our kids were even born :-)). What music does A like? What are some of his favorite books?
I wish we had a "shadow a student" day! I think my kid would spend the whole day ten steps ahead of me and pretending not to know me! (and I think I would be quite the mean, strict mother in K's book... ouch).
Wow, a teenager! I liked your thought, wondering what kind of mother you'd be in his book. I often think about that too, how my kids are going to remember me or how I must seem to them. Oh, the guilt!
I would love "shadow a student" day!
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