Growing Up – by Brad Rhame
I passed by my oldest son’s bedroom and noticed he was taking a nap. He is 14 years old. It is amazing to see how long he is on the bed. In the last year, he has grown 5 to 6 inches in height and gained a tremendous amount of muscle. As he was lying there, I felt like I had missed a whole year of his life.
He has changed so much!
I am proud of him. He hears me say it, however, I don’t think he understands it. Not like me. There is this deep feeling of emotion that rushes over me as I see the man he could or might become. His future is still in its infancy.
I think back to when he was a baby. He was premature and was less than 4 lbs. So small. So helpless. So fragile. Now he is able to do most things by himself and will soon be driving. I actually look forward to teaching him how to drive. It will be one more bridge to freedom for him. Another chance to grow up and make important decisions.
Sometimes we want our children to stay small and young. We forget that our parents wanted the same thing for us, as did their parents for them. Life is about growth…mentally…physically…emotionally…spiritually. Without growth, there is only death. Life requires growth. People, places, and things never stop growing.
People grow in physicality first and then in understanding (or at least that is the hope…lol). Places like cities continue to grow in population. In fact, the population from 1980 (4.4 billion) till now July 2018 (7.5 billion) has grown extremely fast! And things like transportation, technology and even trees continue to grow.
Back to my son…
Now that his bones, muscles and other tissues are growing quickly, it also requires rest. I think that is why he is napping. Besides it being hot out, he is just worn out. I take these moments as precious times in history, because I won’t have them much more. What I will have is more experiences with him. More intelligent conversations and yes…better comebacks. We like to joke a lot. He also likes to fill his oats and challenge me from time to time, with a little chest bumping action or wrestling match. He is definitely getting stronger and faster. One day I won’t have the upper hand. My martial arts background and physical size over him won’t last much longer, but I’m not telling him that!
I love him.
I make sure to tell him that a lot.
He probably thinks I say it too much, but I know a lot of guys who have never heard that from their dads. So, I want to make sure he knows.
When life keeps moving faster and faster, make sure to hit the pause button and look around. Kids grow up fast. We grow up fast. Life keeps moving, growing, changing…and if we don’t take a moment to breath and take in its beauty, then we will miss it.
I’m not going to miss it.
I’m not going to miss watching my son grow up.
In fact…I look forward to it (sort of).
Brad Rhame 