Good Wednesday Morning

I miss my littlest buddy.  Except, he isn't little anymore.  Last weekend we were video chatting.  Christina tried to get him to put on a pair of Denver Bronco slippers.  He refused.  He didn't even want to show them to me, in typical 10 1/2 year old fashion.

Something happens to boys between 10-12 years old. All of the sudden, it is necessary to look "cool." Wearing character slippers, like babies wear, is definitely not cool. Friday was crazy hat day.  Christina said Danny gave Ethan an offering of wild hats, ones that back-in-the-day she would have killed for. (I was a practical mom, choosing to spend money on warm clothing, not silly stuff.)  In spite of the wide variety of crazy, Ethan chose to wear a ball cap.

Before I had a junior high age son, I never believed it possible for my sweet boy to become a middle school kid, who needed to be cool and fit in with his friends. My son was loving, not a boy who was embarrassed to be seen in public with his mom.

But it happened. I hadn't noticed it until one day in fifth grade, Christopher forgot his lunch. As a doting mother, I arrived at his class, toting his baby sister. I will never forget what I saw. My sweet, adoring son, upon seeing me, began to sink down in his chair. Lower and lower as if he was melting. He must have thought nobody would notice him and he would slowly disappeared. I saw a look on his face that I didn't recognize. His expression read, "I am dying of embarrassment, please leave now." Do boys think nobody else has a mother? Are they okay with other parents showing up at school, but not their own?

Not too long ago, Christopher and I were driving down the road. We noticed a group of silly boys crossing the street. Christopher shook his head.  "I wish I could tell those boys that they are NOT cool, they look ridiculous." He admitted that if someone had tried to tell him at that age, he wouldn't have listened.

I never thought I'd say this, but I am thrilled to see my grandson acting like a typical junior high boy.  This means wanting to fit in with the crowd, yet trying to act cool so you get noticed. I will die if Ethan ever acts like he is embarrassed to be seen with me in public. Inwardly I will praise God that he is like every other boy.

Truthfully,

Joanne

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.(1Cor. 13:11)