Mother Knows Best - Until Her Son Shows Her Otherwise :-)

My son came down with his annual case of 'croupy, coughy, tightness in the chesty' mess last week.  He's been going around this mountain for all of his 12 yrs, so he's really pretty good at it.  Now that he's older, all it seems to require is lots of hot tea, a couple of days home from school - tucked away in blankets, and a few gallons of orange juice.  At night, we slather some Vicks on the bottoms of his feet, put a pair of Daddy's big socks on him, and he sleeps like a rock.  Can't say "like a baby", because no baby of mine ever really slept.

He woke up this morning, Day 7, better but not 100%.  The barking cough was more of a typical cough.  He was very much looking forward to participating in his playoff hockey game tonight.  His mother (ahem), a rather neurotic woman when it comes to his health on account of how many hospitals and doctors' offices she's held him in, automatically dashed his hopes of playing.  What did he do?  He played her like a fiddle.  That's what he did.

How'd he beat me at my own game?  Easily.  He used my own weaponry against me.  That catalog of weapons?  Includes coolness under fire, quiet and patient persistence when there is a strong belief in something, and when the moment calls for it, a passionate plea.

I don't know about other moms out there, but when you're looking (slightly) down at your child and he says stuff like, "Mommy, you don't have to worry about me.  I wouldn't ask if I didn't feel well enough.  I really just want to play is all", it's still pretty easy to say no.

But when you have something like ms and your child says, "it would mean a lot to me"  :::eyes welling up with tears, long pause, slight smile that expresses the utmost of respect:::  "Nobody stops you..." 

...it causes you to recall the doctor's advice to stop doing many of the things you love to do, your husband's worry and advice against some of the things you like to do for fun.  You've got 2 big, beautiful hazels staring straight into yours.  What do you do?

:::you hand him his helmet and tell him to kick tail:::

He played perhaps the best game of his entire season.  He was a sliding, diving, goal stopping, tenacious defenseman!  And when he came off the dek in a 5-3 loss, which was much more lopsided in favor of the opposing team than the score reflected, the first thing he said to me was:  "Thanks, Mom!  That was awesome..."

No, buddy.  You are awesome. 

Resilience.  Inner strength.  Character.

When the Lord uses my friends to sharpen me, I'm so very thankful.  But when He uses my children in such a way?  I'm completely, fully, and totally...humbled:-)