Him at 15

It's so hard to believe that he is 15!  It seems like it was only yesterday that he was a little boy who loved to  put on one of my hats and pretend that he was Michael Jackson.  Now he is all grown up...making that slow transition from boy to man...and as much as I welcome this new phase and embrace this shift, I would be lying if I didn't say that there are days when I wish I could turn back the hands of time to go back.  Go back to those days when he would ask me to lay in the bed with him to talk about our day.  Go back to the time when we would snuggle on the couch and watch his favorite TV show.  Go back to the days when I would sit on the porch and watch him ride his bike up and down the street.

But those days are a thing of the past.  

Now our days are filled with dropping him off/picking him up from the mall, football practice and games, discussions about what classes he will take in his sophomore year in high school, followed  with long talks about college and career goals, and taking him out to practice "driving" in preparation for his driver's license.  Now he prefers spending time with his friends which means that he's spending less time with me.  And although I remember and understand *this* time in his life it's still hard to let go.  That is why I try as hard as I can to hold on to those special moments when  he will randomly come up and give me a quick hug or kiss on the cheek; when he will come and snuggle with me on the couch as we watch one of my TV shows; and when he will sit with me at the kitchen table and share with me his day.  I love listening to him as he shares with me his thoughts, his dreams and his plans for the future and I make it a point to remind him that he can accomplish it all.  

I know my time with him being under my roof is limited which is why I make it a conscious effort to be present when we are together.  I make it a point to remind him that he is intelligent/great/amazing and that he can accomplish anything and that most of all that he is LOVED!