9

Well, it's official now, he's 9.

My Michael is 9.

The day he was born I changed.  I don't know what happened or what delivered when he did, but my priorities shifted.  I suddenly had more patience.  I found myself focused on moments rather than years.  I realized that time is a gift and I knew I wanted to take my time and enjoy every moment with this little nameless baby boy Beekman.

We named him on the 23rd after both our fathers.

Michael has grown from a little boy to a big boy.  His looks have matured, he is getting so tall.  He longs to be more grown up than he is.  I am blessed to be his mom.  He is not a perfect boy, but he has so many good qualities I can't come close to listing them all.  I am going to take this opportunity on his ninth birthday to write down nine of my favorite things about him as I have had the gift of time to watch him grow.

1. He's faith filled and hopefully that will grown into faithful
2. He's playful and boyish hopefully 
3. He's kind 
4. He's generous 
5. He's a great brother
6. He's thoughtful, 
7. He's a lover of fun
8. He's interesting
9. He's snugly 

He is truly a gift.  I hope that I will cherish the rest of his childhood as much as I have the first nine years.  It's a weird thing to be almost half-way to adulthood.  How is that possible?!?

What will change in the next nine years.

A LOT!!  I know.

Hopefully I will still be able to find the good and see the possibilities in him.  I pray I will cherish the next stage of life more than I have this one.  I pray that God's plan will be revealed to my son and that I will be a part of that plan as a support and encouragement, but most of all as a mother who is willing to let him go and do the work that God has purposed his life for.  Nothing would be worse than to be seen as a hindrance to his doing God's work.  Which means, although I want to hold him tightly I have to hold him loosely and teach him to hold tightly to God.

Is this the most difficult part of motherhood?  I think so.