Suave Sixteen
“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.”
It started with a visit to the doctor’s office at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 1999. Half an hour later, the pain began, and it ended at 11:10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 1999, with a healthy 7 lb 11 oz baby boy. Now, 16 years later, I sit here and marvel at how fast the time has gone by.
That chubby little boy, with his bright blue-green eyes and his golden brown, curly hair, has grown into someone who is lanky, awkward, and taller than his mother (which isn’t exactly hard…). I’m only 5’6″). He loves video games, he loves to talk, and he doesn’t love school. Life hasn’t been easy for him, by any stretch of the imagination. But, unlike some kids his age who are running after girls or running after drugs, he likes to sit in his room and play his games, listen to music, watch YouTube videos, and build things with his large collection of Legos and other various building materials.
While Jason does have some rough edges (what teenage boy doesn’t?), he has a huge heart. He loves his sister, his mom, his Gammy and Papaw, his cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. I think, like most kids his age, he doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere. But, most of the great ones don’t… And I believe that he is poised for greatness.
Jason and his sister have an interesting relationship. They are best friends and sometimes worst enemies (much like any sibling pair). They fight like cats and dogs, but she is the best friend he has ever had, especially as a child who doesn’t have the easiest time making friends. He also has an interesting relationship with me as well. Usually, he will sit there and talk my ear off about video games, but in the last year or two, we have started to bond over pop culture. We’ll watch American Horror Story, Grey’s Anatomy, and even Law and Order: SVU together. During that time, we’ll talk, laugh, etc. He shares my love of horror movies, but not my fear of them. He thinks they are great. He does what he can around the house, albeit at his own slow pace, but he will help out when Momma needs him.
Sixteen years old…almost a man. Or, as he tells it, a “pre-adult.” The best thing about him is his intuitive understanding of life and his ability to be compassionate. He doesn’t ask for lavish, overpriced things. What does he want today? He wants a day with Mom. He wants to go to a movie and lunch with me. He wants to have dinner and cake at Gammy’s house tonight. Does he care that the cake is going to be homemade? No. Actually, I think he almost prefers it.
My amazing, intelligent, 16-year-old may need to learn a sense of urgency (and how to effectively clean his room), but overall, he is developing a character and heart that will take him far in his life, and for that I am very proud of him. Happy 16th Birthday, Jason! I love you very much!
