To My Son

My son will be 22 in January. I had been 18 years old less then a month when he came into this world. I had been married for a little over 7 months.

You made me grow up and you made me understand what love is, the day you were born. You helped me realize how strong I was and you helped me see life through a boy's eyes. You were, and are now, a mother's blessing as a son. We butted heads when you were younger, but I never doubted the love I felt from you, or the love I felt for you. You started reading when you were 4, yet numbers came to be your specialty. You have brought music to my ears and heart since you first picked up an instrument and yes, I still cry a mother's tears of joy when I see you on stage now.

You have grown into a beautiful man, inside and out.

Thank you J, for being my son. Thank you for all the times you made me laugh while we were trying to do homework. Thank you for being so smart. Thank you for loving all things living and for not growing up to be a man who has to kill things to prove himself.

Thank you for being patient with me when I didn't understand you and thank you for helping me to understand you better. Thank you for loving your father when I no longer could. Thank you for being a mother's "first time" with everything you accomplished... first day of school, first to learn how to drive, first to graduate, first to go to college. They say being an oldest child is the hardest because the parents tend to practice on you so it's not so hard with the second child and so on. Thank you for unintentionally letting me experiment on you.

Thank you for finally learning that your sister was not put on this Earth to torment you, and that she loves you.

Thank you for loving me and allowing me to love you back. Thank you for your music, your smiles, your hugs and your kisses. Thank you J... for being you.