The Next Part of the Journey
I remember the day like it was yesterday, the day I met this boy. I was exhausted, having just gone through the worst pain of my life, but looking at his face just inches from my own was all that mattered. Along with my husband, I had been tasked with the privilege and responsibility of raising this boy to be a man of God. We relied heavily on God to guide us and help us every second of every day. We fell in love with this bundle of joy.
We brought the boy home where he learned to roll over, sit up, crawl, and cruise. He experienced the "firsts": first bath, first baseball game, first trip to Disneyland, first visit to the beach, first cereal and baby food. He even played baby Jesus in the Ft. Lauderdale Christmas Pageant. We introduced him proudly to every family member and friend.
We introduced him to cake at his first birthday party . . . which ended up all over his face. As he learned to walk, he explored every inch of everywhere he went. He became more independent, exerting that independence more and more each day. He looked like such a big boy the day he had his first haircut.
This boy began his love of trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine. He moved from a crib to a toddler bed to a bunk bed. What a big boy! We introduced him to our extended family at the reunion in Tennessee. He learned to "fish" for tadpoles. The boy made room for another boy in his room and in his heart -- his baby brother Kaden.
He attended preschool for the first time. Saying "goodbye" was so hard. He learned his alphabet and numbers, then he learned to read. Reading became his new love, along with superheroes.
He did his own thing, no matter the surroundings. He cleaned home plate while surrounded by famous St. Louis Cardinals as an honorary bat boy during spring training. He sang his own songs and performed his own moves during Christmas and spring shows. He swam like a fish, as any Florida boy would. He created "HunterBoy" stories, which were shared while snuggling with me in the early morning hours.
The day he asked the Lord to be the "boss" of him was the sweetest day of his childhood. This boy is so sensitive to the things of God and craves knowing Him more.
His likes have changed from trains to Legos to video games. He has played soccer, basketball, and tennis. He still swims like a fish.
He writes stories that blow my mind. He shares his faith with people in our town, as well as the people of Guatemala. He treasures his friends and family, although at times he struggles to properly show it.
Now we are entering a new stage of life, as this boy, our firstborn, becomes a teenager. What will the future hold? As we are thrust, willingly or not, into this new part of the journey, we will continue to rely heavily on God to guide us and help us every second of every day so that we may fulfill our responsibility of raising this teenager to be a man of God. It has been and continues to be a privilege that we hold most dear.
