On the way home from church tonight, Cooter and I were riding along Hamburger Highway where all the billboards and “big city” lights are. He was chatting about his visit with his much older and cooler guy friend who was giving him advice on how to deal with our Princess and her friends. He was happy about those words of wisdom, but even more so, he was happy that he’d had time with his older buddy.
At the stop light, he switched gears from talking about which Star Wars movies his friend said should be okay for him to see to ask me, “Hey, Mama, who is that man you always go to see at Christmas Made in the South? The artist? What’s his name?”
I had to think for a minute, he’d changed the subject so quickly. When I realized what he was asking, I told him.
He nodded. “Yes, him. Well, he is going to be at the Peach Blossom Festival at Peachy Peach,” he said, using the nickname he’s always used for the local peach packing shed and market.
“He is? Well thank you for telling me that. How do you know?”
“Oh, I saw it on a poster last week at the gym. It’s hanging up on the board. I thought you might want to know.”
Oh bless him.
When he and his Daddy took our Princess to her dance class while his big sister and I were at the vigil for Kelly Gissendaner, he saw the poster and recognized the face. He read it, and tonight he remembered to share that with me. It reminded me of the first time he smiled at me as a baby when we’d been apart for a few minutes–I knew he remembered me and thought of me when I wasn’t around.
That moment when you realize your baby boy isn’t a baby anymore. That he’s growing up on you and working on being a thoughtful young man.
That moment right there.
Oh my heart’s not ready for him to grow up yet. But since he seems bound and determined to, I’m thankful for his little loving heart. He can be full of the mischief and is most of the time. But tonight I saw glimpses into the one who is going to hold my hand when I get old and tell me how much he loves me and tease me about the wrinkles on my face. It was only a glimpse as he immediately lapsed into a conversation about the two dirtiest men on earth (a video he saw thanks to his oldest sister being home on spring break-seriously one hasn’t bathed in sixty years and one in twenty, and do NOT get them mixed up) and proceeded to tell me all about them. The little boy who doesn’t always want to shower came back full force then, and I was able to breathe a little sigh of relief. Yes, he’s growing up, but maybe it won’t be too fast.
Tonight I’m thankful for being known and loved and important enough for my little guy to notice something and think about how his Mama would like to know that.
Wishing you all someone who knows and loves you, and who remembers to share important and not so important things with you, just because you matter.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 