THIS young man started HIGH SCHOOL this month.

There’s no other way to say it. I’m getting old.

Since it’s now my official job to highly embarrass him as greatly and as often as I can: I’m so stinking proud of him. He’s doing so well, and he’s so smart, and handsome (naturally). I look at him and I’m just amazed that time has gone by so fast since he was just a little bug kicking around in his bouncy-saucer.

He’s taller than I am now, and tonight he helped Band Geek barbecue up some steaks. I watched them, thinking to myself how amazing it is that one day you get pregnant, and then you grow this little baby, and fifteen years later, they’re almost all grown up. You start to see their personalities develop, and it’s hard, so hard to start letting go and letting them make their own decisions (and mistakes). All you can do is hope that you raised them well enough and their own good sense will keep them safe and out of trouble.

There are days where I don’t think he likes me very much. I think every parent goes through that – it’s the age where he’s more interested in video games and friends and girls than hanging out with his mom. There are times when I wonder if I should have had another baby to give him a little brother or sister to hang out with. But not a day goes by that I don’t look at him and cherish the memories of him as a tiny little scrap of a thing falling asleep on my chest in the middle of the night.

I love you buddy. You light me up, every day. So proud of you, always.