My four sons are growing up in stature … and growing more mature. I’ve never considered myself to be a short person, being 5’9, but I can see that in the very near future I will be the shortest in our family. My youngest son stands beside me on a daily basis checking to see if this is finally the day that he is taller than me. He is very nearly reaching his goal of no longer being the smallest in the family. My three older boys are all fairly close in height right now, hovering around 6’1 or 6’2.
I often wonder, as a mother, if I have done a decent job of raising our sons. Some days, I have just done the best I could with what God gave me. Some days, it’s a lesson in prayer and trusting. Some days, it’s joy and thankfulness for God’s love and goodness. I am blessed watching our sons grow into fine young men.
Son No. 1 has been working full-time since graduating from high school and has become comfortable with his life, which has been a cause of concern (and much prayer) for us. But he is at a point right now where he is entertaining moving forward to something new and is pursuing a return to school in the fall, for which we are encouraged to see. That may or may not have something to do with the ultimatum we gave him that he either go back to school or move away … Whatever the motivation may be, we are relieved to see him taking steps to move forward and out of his man cave comfort zone.
Son No. 2 recently returned home from his first year away at College and I have been so impressed with the way he has grown up and matured over the course of the school year. Having lived in residence, he has become far more independent when it comes to making his own food and cleaning up in the kitchen after himself! There is a maturity about him in the way he views responsibility and life, and I’m really quite proud of who he is becoming.
Son No. 3 just finished up his first club volleyball season as an assistant coach, helping to coach Son No. 4’s volleyball team. It was a really neat experience for me watching Son No. 3 interact with the players and flourish in a new and different way. Son No. 3, to me, has an incredible understanding of the technical aspects of the game and I believe he thoroughly enjoyed his season as part of the coaching crew. The first time I heard one of the players call him “Coach”, I had to give my head a shake realizing he was addressing my son!
Son No. 4 has always disliked being considered the youngest and smallest of the bunch, so it is no wonder that he so desperately wants to be taller in stature than somebody! I’m more than happy to be that somebody. Son No. 4 wants to be the best at something (and would prefer that something be different than anything his older brothers are good at!) Although Son No. 2 plays volleyball at a college level, Son No. 4 has all the makings of being equally as good, or better, than his older brother. What Son No. 4 doesn’t always realize is that he is special and unique in his own way and there is no comparison.
This past weekend Son No. 2 was quite industrious, fixing up a table that we had in the back yard. The makeshift table was used for storing firewood, but also as a work-table for outdoor projects. Son No. 2 found a piece of wood to recycle as a new table top and he fortified the legs. After the appropriate measuring, sawing, hammering and sanding, the table was pronounced finished and sufficiently sturdy. I was quite impressed with Son No. 2’s work ethic and the way he encouraged Son No. 3 to get involved and help him out. I applauded Son No. 2 for his accomplishment, to which he proclaimed that the table was now ready for Beer Pong.
Sigh. Boys will always be boys.
