Shhh, It's a secret!

We are celebrating my son's 9th birthday this week.

He loved the gifts we bought him (an official USA Hockey jersey and a PlayStation Portable).

In the time he has been in our lives he has brought joy, sadness, fear, exultation, pride and many more emotions to us.I would even venture to say that he has been a good investment just for the entertainment value! I'm only partially kidding there. Kids are expensive and to have one is an investment in our future (financially, emotionally and socially). When I think about it now, he's gone from being an 8 pound lump of barely moving flesh that required little sleep and tended to spit sustenance back at us constantly to a reasonably self sustaining, self propelled, human being that is full of smart ass comments on the most mundane things. He constantly surprises us with his intelligence and love.

I can easily remember, when in Pre-K, the first little show he was in. I choked back tears of love and pride during the whole thing. I think the tears were also for my father who did not live to see his youngest grandchild perform this way. I had the same feelings when he scored his first goal in hockey this year. My Dad would be so proud of him! I know Dad is watching over him but to have him next to me during those moments would have made them sweeter. In fact, when my boy learned to skate, he started in a figure skating class/club. At the end of that class the club put on a show. When he skated in that show, I was so choked up and excited that I accidentally turned off my video camera! I was a mess.

I don't know what I would ever do if, God forbid, we lost him.

When my wife was pregnant with him, there was a bad accident on the main street near where we were living at the time. I was walking our dog and came upon the accident. Evidently, a boy (about 9) on a bike rode into the street in front of a bus and was killed. As I was walking past the scene, a man that was obviously his father came running up to the site of the accident screaming and moaning with both hands holding either side of his head. He looked like he lost his mind. That father's crippling loss is still fresh in my mind. I thought I understood that father's loss then but I realize now that I had no idea how he felt. I hope I never do.

posted by section306g @ 10:17 PM