Mother’s Day: Devlin

So today is a bittersweet Mother’s Day for me. Why? My son graduated high school on Friday.

I made it.

Wait, that’s not right.

He made it.

Still not right. Hmmm. Wait, wait. I got it…

WE made it.

Ah, that’s better.

So, since he was in kindergarten, I’ve been doing this ‘mom’ thing alone. It’s just been the two of us, putting one foot in front of the other until we got to this point.  Hell, even before then, it was me doing all the work.

  • We’ve had ER visits and stitches.
  • We’ve had two surgeries.
  • We’ve been up all night together with illnesses or up early mornings for the same.
  • We’ve dealt with bullies…  No, that one wasn’t right – he dealt with bullies, and while I wanted to step in, he asked me not to. He wanted to deal with it on his own (which broke my heart – grrr… someone messing with my boy!)
  • We had early morning Saturdays for two years while he did horseback riding lessons.
  • We had late nights for a couple of years as he took self-defense lessons.
  • He loves older ‘alternative’ music, and has been a Linkin Park fan since he was literally bobbing in his car seat.
  • He’s volunteered with a community outreach for the past few years to work with local elementary kids over the summer because they worked with him when he was the same age.
  • When I was hurt in a car accident a few years ago, he actively took care of me, even sleeping on the couch with me to watch over me at night since I couldn’t sleep in my room.
  • He’s a whole lot of geeky, loving gaming of all varieties.
  • He learned to read because of anime, and we still watch different shows together.
  • He’s quiet and shy, but still loves drama and being on the stage.
  • He doesn’t understand when a girl asks for his number, it’s because she thinks he’s cute.
  • He holds the door open for other people – not just me.
  • He declares ‘genetics’ whenever he does anything exceptionally dorky (and he’s right).
  • He has an amazing memory (often to my detriment).
  • He’s afraid of heights, but loved ziplining.
  • He’s patient with little kids, even when they frustrate him.
  • He does his own laundry and even cooks dinner on nights I’m running late.
  • When I’m sick, he does everything he can to help me.
  • He has no clue how handsome he is.

It has been a hell of a ride, and I am truly honored to see the young man my son has grown into.  My son has been my world, my life, my reason for everything for so many years. I have actively defined myself, as most moms do, by this title. Even looking at some of my descriptors, it starts with ‘mom.’

And while I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to see him to this point.

But I still remember so fondly the little boy who would ‘stand on his head’ with his feet firmly planted, head on the ground, and grin at me, upside down, from between his legs. Who would proudly re-enact Princess Bride in my living room.  Who would cuddle up to me when he didn’t feel well (Oh wait, he still does that one).

I’m proud of you, my boy. I cannot wait to see what you do next.

I love you.

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