Nothing makes a mother’s heart sing quite as much as a happy child – no matter how old that child is.
And this morning, I awoke with a completely happy heart for the first time in a long time.
Troy’s prom was last night. We live in a small school district of about 100 kids in a grade level and a combined junior-senior prom, and Troy wasn’t going to go. He didn’t say much, just that he wasn’t going, and I didn’t push him. Troy’s a quiet kid so, mixed with the expense and the worry that accompanies prom parties, I avoided asking too many questions.
But when a friend asked him to go with her, he said yes, and things changed as I discovered Troy had only said he wouldn’t go because he, “couldn’t justify the expense of going as a junior.”
Can I say that I really do have the best kids?
Somehow I’d make it work for my wonderful boy young man.
Thursday, we went to pick up his tux and I was amazed – almost speechless – at the handsome young man who stood before me in his black and white tux, and Friday late afternoon a stunningly handsome young man emerged from his bedroom.
Troy is a quiet kid, and I could tell he was excited but nervous so I tried to get information without pushing too hard as we drove to where he was meeting his friends – 50 of them taking a coach bus together!
Corsages were exchanged; pictures were taken; and the bus pulled off
Taking my Baby with it.
And I drove off alone feeling a bit disconcerted.
Where had the time gone?
How had we gotten to this point already?
What happened to my baby?
And yes, I still think of him as my baby.
- This is the child I carried with me for 9 months, refusing the amniocentesis when the AFP came back as a high risk for Downs Syndrome because there an amnio has the slightest risk of miscarriage and I knew he was special no matter what some test said.
- This is the child who terrified me with febrile seizures, making me realize again how fragile life is.
- This is the child who, at 4, yelled very sweetly as he ran down the soccer field that, “It isn’t nice to steal the ball when another boy has it,” as I was cheering him on.
- This is the child who should have a Fast Pass at the local hospital for the number of times he’s jumped off of, run into, or climbed up something he shouldn’t have and come to me a bloody mess.
- This is the child who lost his lunch box day after day in elementary school and now just forgets to bring his lunch to school altogether 4 out of 5 times a week.
- This is the child who called me in a panic only two years ago because he got lost walking the mile and half to our new house and didn’t know where he was.
- This is the child who realized he had forgotten to put on his shoes as we pulled up to school drop off every day last year – even in January!
- This is the child who is quiet in school and out places, the child I worry about being overlooked, the child who has my heart.
- This is the child I Love.
And this is the child I must stop thinking about as a child.
All my worry about him being safe and having a good time, my worry, despite his being well-liked about whether he would be too quiet and shy to really enjoy himself, all my worry that he would be overlooked were for nothing.
My boy was crowned Prom Prince!
I didn’t think I cared about such things. I didn’t even know “Prom Prince” (In a junior-senior prom a senior is crowned king and a junior is crowned prince) existed until he came home last night carrying his crown and smiling for my endless photos (Which he did only grudgingly pre-prom).
But I did – and so did he!
And I went to bed last night so happy to know other people think he’s (almost) as wonderful as I do. With or without their validation, I would always have known how special this young man is, but it is nice to see others recognize this quiet kid as well-liked and special too.
And I thought of our Lord and how He also sent His Son and how He must have been concerned for how He would be treated knowing that even His friends would betray Him. I thought of how God the Father knows how special His Son is, even without our expressing it. But I also thought of how happy I was to know people liked my son and how it must make God our Father rejoice when we rejoice in His Son Jesus Christ.
And I woke up this morning with a song in my heart, a gentle, sweet, calming song, a prayer whispered kindly through my heart and through my mind. I could think of nothing to ask God for today except to, “Help me Love Him more.” Because I know Hes got this!
Just as I rejoice in the students choosing my son as Prom Prince and the idea of him dancing the night away, I am guessing the Lord rejoice in our choosing Jesus as our Prince of Peace, making him the Lord of our Dance.
There can be no greater joy to a parent than to know our child is Loved and appreciated. How happy will you make the parent of Jesus today? 🙂
God Bless…
