Today’s His Birthday

Today, is my son’s 14^th birthday.  Instead of having cake, today … we saw them last night.  Our shared concert experiences began years, ago with our seeing Cheap Trick together when he was six years old.  We both really love music and over the years, my son has become my concert companion.  Sometimes we see someone we both want to see like Joe Satriani or Daniel Johnston.  Sometimes we see someone that just one of us really wants to see.  My son will owe me forever for taking him to see Weird Al Yankovic a few years, ago.  He even insisted that we stay for any encores.  The best part of the experience was after the show, as we were heading home.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen more “white” (& of course “nerdy”) people, at a single event in my life than at that concert.  As we drove home … we took turns crafting completions for the sentence … “it was like …” – to describe the concert crowd:

It was like a …

“Osmond Family Festival in Salt Lake”

“Peter, Paul, & Mary Hootenanny in Boise”

“Happy Days cast reunion”

“Amish Quilting jamboree”

My son and I have a multitude of things in common like shared traits, styles, mannerisms, interests, and above all our sense of humor.  If funny can be found, in a given circumstance … we’ll find it.  And we are looking to find “funny” always.  If it were possible, I am confident he and I could find a discreet corner to crack jokes, at our own funerals.  I am pleased that finding the humor in life experiences is important to him and pray it always will be.

Although, my son and I have many commonalities … we are also, unique in many ways.  I am glad that we can share many aspects of life but I am also, pleased to see my son growing, as an independent soul.  The last thing I would ever want is for him to simply, follow or be like me in some mirror-manner.  I desire for him to be all that God created him to be; and that must mean his being himself … and not another me.

The last couple of years have been hard for he and I at times, as so many significant changes have occurred.  My marriage of 17 years, ended … he went from only small private schools to public … we moved from our home, into an apartment … changed churches … and much more – all this occurring, as he hit the very transitional ages of 12 and 13.  It has been hard for him at times to really give value to maturing and looking to assume more responsibility.  I understand this is often common to the age but I have also, struggled at times to understand this … and simply, be understanding for him.  I love my son incredibly.  I have always had a wonderful relationship with him and I am glad that I have taken every opportunity to grow our relationship.  As he hits another birthday … I realize how little time I have remaining with him, in certain respects.  He is now, in the very formative period of life where he will grow increasingly independent, as he should at this point in life.  He cannot fully appreciate how his life will further change over the next 10 years no matter how much exchange we share.  I pray for my son to define his foundation of faith, as he will need this to go forward in life … and to keep his focus on Christ – always!