Seven Years Ago
It was a calm, yet balmy morning. The sun had not risen yet as it was around 4 a.m. My wife and I got dressed and headed to Baptist Hospital for our appointment. Both of us were full of anticipation and hope. After we arrived at Baptist, we were escorted to our room and preparations were made for the upcoming event. At 6:30 a.m. my wife was wheeled into the operating room and I followed. Then the next twenty minutes changed my life.
It was at that moment that my son was born. Funny thing was he did not want to cooperate, as he squirmed away from the doctor momentarily to crawl back in the safe womb he was being extracted from. That was my first sign my son was smart. Nevertheless, he cooperated and let out his first scream without being prompted to do so.
The nurse let me hold him for a brief moment and then it was off to the tanning room where he was hand and foot printed and placed under his lamp. It was a far cry from when I came into this world, basically being stuck in a window sill so I could get my tan.
My son seemed content with the whole procedure while I was in a constant state of amazement and solemn respect all at the same time. He had a smile that was almost like a smirk, exuding a sense of confidence that everything was going to be alright. Looking at that bundle of joy, I had to agree.
Now, as I fast forward to the present, I am watching him take swimming lessons, playing video games and listening to him tell me about his "good" friend at school over lunch. It is hard to believe that seven years have gone by so fast.
My parents told me to cherish the moments that I have with him because they will be gone in an instant. They were so right. Eleven years from now, I will be writing about how his high school graduation was and how proud I am of him for what he has achieved. But, that is in the future, hopefully. Right now, I just have to marvel at the young man he is becoming, his steady striving for independence while maintaining his desire to be around his parents.
Pretty soon, we will be doing the Little League circuit, going on more road trips, talking about girls that are more than just "good" friends and all the other things fathers and sons do together. I look forward to those moments with the same anticipation I had seven years ago.
Happy Birthday, Son.
It was at that moment that my son was born. Funny thing was he did not want to cooperate, as he squirmed away from the doctor momentarily to crawl back in the safe womb he was being extracted from. That was my first sign my son was smart. Nevertheless, he cooperated and let out his first scream without being prompted to do so.
The nurse let me hold him for a brief moment and then it was off to the tanning room where he was hand and foot printed and placed under his lamp. It was a far cry from when I came into this world, basically being stuck in a window sill so I could get my tan.
My son seemed content with the whole procedure while I was in a constant state of amazement and solemn respect all at the same time. He had a smile that was almost like a smirk, exuding a sense of confidence that everything was going to be alright. Looking at that bundle of joy, I had to agree.
Now, as I fast forward to the present, I am watching him take swimming lessons, playing video games and listening to him tell me about his "good" friend at school over lunch. It is hard to believe that seven years have gone by so fast.
My parents told me to cherish the moments that I have with him because they will be gone in an instant. They were so right. Eleven years from now, I will be writing about how his high school graduation was and how proud I am of him for what he has achieved. But, that is in the future, hopefully. Right now, I just have to marvel at the young man he is becoming, his steady striving for independence while maintaining his desire to be around his parents.
Pretty soon, we will be doing the Little League circuit, going on more road trips, talking about girls that are more than just "good" friends and all the other things fathers and sons do together. I look forward to those moments with the same anticipation I had seven years ago.
Happy Birthday, Son.
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