Friday, March 21, 2008

Well, Slap My Face!

I had a huge reality check this week. My oldest turned 17 years old and I up until then was thinking; O.K. I have two more years with him to teach him the rest of what he needs to know before he goes out into the big ole’ world to carve his own path and probably serve a mission. Nope! Wrong Again. If he leaves for college right after he graduates from High School then I’ve only got a smidgen over 1 year left. That’s It! It was one of those...
Hit-Me-With–A-Mac-Truck,
Throw-Me-In-A-Glacier-Lake,
Slap-My-Face Kind-of, Moments.

Aaauuuugggghhhhh!!!!!!

As a mom have I prepared him adequately for life on his own? Will he be able to make and stick to a budget (something I still struggle with)? Will he keep up his grades, remember to set his alarm, frequently change his underwear, date good girls, find a career path, go to church and make more than waffles to survive on? I think so.


That’s just it. I think he will be o.k. but I don’t KNOW it. What did I miss? So I’m going to be racking my small brain trying to figure out what I can cram into what little time I have left with him. I’m sure this will make for one of his more annoying years with Mom moments. As if getting ready to be a Senior wasn’t bad enough. Better a leach now, than calling him every-day at college and reminding him to do whatever.


Abner, has been the rock of my kids. I couldn’t have asked for a more dependable first child. All of his siblings love him and look up to him. I kind-of wish I had a big brother like him. At seven – he encouraged us to read scriptures as a family so that he could make better choices. He’s one of those one in a million kids who recognizes a need and helps out without being asked too. I’ve also never, ever gotten lip from him. I get more smart mouth from my two-year old than I’ve ever gotten from him.
So, somewhere deep in my heart I guess I know he’ll be o.k. But darn-it if I don’t miss him already, and Thank God for the blessing he is in my life. And double-darn it if my stupid emotions just didn’t kick into high gear and start me blubbering like the village idiot. So, slap my face, wake me up, I’ve still got things to do.

3 comments:

Susanne said...

Yep, you've got nothing to worry about. He's a great kid!

Trena Doll said...

I remember the day you & PE brought the little guy home to that tiny basement apartment. It doesn't seem like 17 years ago. Happy Birthday Abner!

Anonymous said...

I have a theory that immaturity will generally expand to fill the available space plus 10% (much like the budget), which is to say there's a time where you've just got to let go and start letting them hold their own decisions up against the moral compass you've given them and become their own person.

That said, from everything that I know about Abner from both reading here and from working with PE for the last... holy cow, 5 years, I think he's got a leg up on 98% of the rest of the population in this area.