Looking in the mirror

That is what it is like to see my youngest son. Albeit the man version of me. At thirteen he is more self assurd than I. He has blue eyes that dance with excitement.
You look at him and feel alive even at the darkest of times.

Being the youngest of my three children I at times feel he gets the short end of the deal. His siblings will tell you different. They say he is spoiled and a brat. I tell them he is misunderstood. Which they respond with eyes rolling and walk away.

He stands in between being a young man and a boy. Unlike his brother who seem to quietly pass from his childhood into being a young man he is going kicking and screaming. Evidence of this comes when in the midst of discussion, rather heated I might add. He turns to me and with the most serious look on his face shouts at me "EVER HEARD OF PUBERTY!"

My youngest son is built like a football player. At thirteen he is five six and wears a size ten shoe. He is a force to be reckoned with. But at the heart of his being a gentle giant. You see displays of this when he gets down on the floor to try and sooth one my unhappy daycare children.

Those who know him will tell you he holds nothing back. He will tell his siblings in a heart beat. "I was not talking to you I was talking to mom." His teachers always have good things to say about him and they all agree and wish he would talk more during class discussions. Both my sons possess this trait of not being comfortable in a classroom setting. Not confident enough in their intellectual abilities.

He always seems to have a golden nugget for one or two of his teachers that just reaffirm why they are teachers. When he was in fifth grade the very last day of school. His teacher turned to find him standing there. He reached out and gave her a big hug and told her he loved her and was gonna miss her. Last year his spanish teacher couldn't speak enough on his manners. Always the gentleman holding the door for her without fail everyday.

Through the trails of this summer and God knows there have been many. I have come to the realization that I do not have to look further than my own three children to define my success.