Growing Up

 

 

Excuse me for a minute while I share a personal post.... but as parents you will come to understand how hard this "growing up thing" really is.  This young man you see above was born so tiny...and I have no idea when he turned into this teenage boy.  When I look at him I still see my little baby who needs help tying shoes and learning to ride his bike.  I am posting these pictures from his cross country race last week.  This is his second year running for River Bluff High School and I am amazed by him.  No he is not the star runner or best on the team, he is just an average runner, but he continues to hang in there and try his best.  As a parent it is probably the hardest thing to let your child go... to experience disappointment and frustration and to figure out that life is all about being the best you can be.  He has learn to set goals and understand what training means.  He did a really great job at this meet and ran a faster time than last year, but he wasn't satisfied.  So he made a plan to improve for the next event... this he did all on his own.  I know this is what growing up is all about... letting them go to do it on their own...but it sure is hard.  And to be totally honest... the hardest part is not cheering for him because he asked me not to.....He said he gets in the "zone" and it distracts him from his pace to hear me yell.   So what does a mama do..... prays hard as he runs by and cheers kinda quietly so I don't cause him to lose focus.  I really don't like growing up very much but it is what happens to each one of our children.  This little guy and his big brother have shown me that they still need me, just not as much as they used to.  And yes... that is what growing up is all about...we all did it and our children will do it too... I think we have just don't even have this on our radar when they are babies, toddlers or preschoolers.  So- my point is to stop and have some fun today.  They somehow become 14 and it feels like it happened in one day.  Enjoy your children!