………………….sometimes, even baby steps.
At 6:17PM this evening, I will celebrate my 29th anniversary of becoming a mother.
Matthew David Williams came into our lives on a rainy Sunday evening in the early spring of 1978, and we’ve never been the same.
Thanks to Matthew, I learned about important things like “The Dukes of Hazzard” (Yeeee-hah!), He-Man, “Knight Rider”, baseball cards and how to figure stats, and the difference in status between being an outfielder and a third-baseman. (All those games in the front yard!) I learned what an “air-biscuit” was, and how to house and feed four growing, hungry teenage boys in a sudden, unexpected blizzard in Georgia in March. That same birthday celebration also taught me the guidelines for playing “turtle’. (Don’t ask; you really don’t want to know.)
I also learned about the struggles in clothing a young man growing approximately 4-5 inches in one summer and the difference in prices of shoes increasing from size 12 to size 13. Being the first driver of our offspring, we learned the importance of cellphones for young drivers, especially driving on the Perimeter Highway here in Atlanta to college classes on the northside. Matthew also taught me the finer points of college basketball watching Georgia Tech in the March Madness of 1990. (Go, Jackets!)
I have also learned from Matthew the wisdom of listening to and giving new musical artists an opportunity to shine – like Steve Camp, Passion, Derek Webb, and many others. He’s gifted me with many pleasurable hours listening to artists that I would never have heard of otherwise.
I’ve learned to look at people with a different perspective from watching my son interact with people from all walks of life, and from reading his writings that resulted, especially the Xanga bits about his adventures in the hills of Tennessee. (Although I did sometimes worry about the possibilities of him meeting up with a shotgun or two on his ramblings.)
We’ve not always seen things exactly eye-to-eye, but I think that’s probably the result of the generation gap (whatever that is), the gender gap ( I know what that is!), and our personalities. We’re both rather strongly opinionated at times. (Yes, we *are*!)
But, for those of you who have begun the journey of parenthood in recent years, or just about to experience the joys of parenthood, I will tell you that every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month and year has been and is worth the time and sacrifices you make for your children.
Happy Birthday, Sweetie! Here’s your birthday cake via cyberspace:
And here’s a hug from me to you:
{{{{{{{{{{{{{Matthew}}}}}}}}}}}}
I love you,
Mom
