No Longer A Little Boy

C at 3 months old wearing shades for his first baseball game (June 1997)

My oldest child and only son turns 12 today.

12.

How can this be?

I remember the moment so clearly.

It was when the doctor, at 6:13 p.m. on the first day of spring 1997, said the words, "It's A Boy" and forever changed my life.

The long awaited baby was finally in my arms. The answer to many prayers.

I remember when we took him home a few days later wondering when the real parents would show up. You know the ones who knew what to do with a baby. My husband and I thought for sure we'd be pulled over on the way home from the hospital by the "parent police" saying we were ill prepared.

He has always been a joy. He is easy going, funny, smart as a whip, compassionate, and kind hearted. C is confident, fun, happy, focused, and lazy. He's known what he wants to do for the rest of his life since early childhood, but can't remember how to pick up his room or make his bed.

His heart for God and others can bring me to tears in an instant. He gets it. He loves Jesus with everything he has.

He asked me the other day if I'd like to be around for the second coming and see Jesus' triumphant return or be in heaven when it happens. I said heaven. He said he's still deciding. While he'd like to know what it's like to take your final breath on earth, he'd love to see Jesus in the sky too! That's some heavy thinking.

I love that his favorite radio station is K-LOVE and that he asks me to turn up Chris Tomlin or Sanctus Real so he can sing along. I love that he's taught our 4 year old to sing Toby Mac songs.

I love that, on his birthday, he is participating in a 30 Hour Fast for World Vision. Today at 12 noon, he had his last bite of food until tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

We had a birthday lunch at Arby's today at 11:30 to celebrate and then this evening, he was off to church to get a little taste of what hunger feels like.

We talked today that the difference between him giving up food for 30 hours and hungry children in Africa or America is that he knows when his hunger will be satisfied. They don't. He knows that he will be breaking his fast with a huge Spaghetti dinner tomorrow night while they don't know when they will eat again or what it will be.

C told his grandparents that he was a little bummed that it was his birthday and he was fasting, but it was too important and he cared too much about it not to participate. He asked people to support the fast with as little as $1 which is enough to feed 1 person for a whole day. He gave enough out of his own pocket to feed 10 and raised enough to feed 142 people today or 1 person for 3 months and 12 days.

Poor C, he's been our test case and our first attempt at parenting. We are still learning this job and he's had to be patient with us as we figure it out. How thankful I am that's he's so forgiving and easy mannered.

What a kid. I love you C. I'm so proud of the young man you are becoming. You might not be that cute little baby anymore, but you'll always be my favorite boy in the whole wide world.

C at Diversity Day Speech 09/ First Day of Sixth Grade Fall 08