Growing Up (From a Mother's Perspective)

She's gonna get mad at me for writing this, because I should be working on math (meh. I'm better at writing), but I was thinking about this topic this morning, and felt the need to type it out. A while back I wrote a post on "Son of Man" (link to post HERE ), and how it's crazy to think about growing up.

But the same concept goes for the mother of that Tarzan story. She has a really hard job. She has to raise the wild and hyper son. She has to feed his never ending pit of a stomach, make sure that he's not breaking a bone falling out of a tree. She has to worry about when he is out late, gets bad grades or in trouble with the neighbors. And then as he gets older, she has to pray with all she has that what she did for him in his short time under her wings somehow seeped into his thick (and possibly cracked) skull, and that he becomes a solid man. She then has to watch him walk away from her, into the world, and possibly even into the arms of another young woman he's in love with. I've realized lately that that has to be by far one of the hardest occupations on earth to do. Yet millions of women do it day in and out, and they love it. I will never totally understand why they will go through those 19, 20, 21 years of torture, but they do it.

I just have to thank my mom for everything she's put up with from me. I haven't been easy to raise. A quick bullet pointed example of this goes like this...

• Age 3 or 4: touched a lawn mower THREE consecutive times in one summer. Didn't learn it was actually HOT. 
• Age 4 or 5: climbed the entertainment center. Fell and left a massive goose egg on my head.
• Age 6 through about 10: Multiple bike ramps built. Multiple wrecks, and possible quarts of neosporin used.
• Age 13: Fell in a drained pool. Concussion. 
• Age 14-current: multiple near drownings from boogie boarding, and surfing.
• Age 15: Shot foot with 3200 PSI power washer. Pinky Toe in tact (barely)
• Age 17: dislocated and relocated knee cap from football. 
• Age 18: torn ligaments on ankle from jumping off trailer. 
• Age 19: bilateral hernia from years of sports and extreme stunts. 
• Age 19: Car accident. Hit by drunk driver. 

This is on top of bad attitudes, arguments at times over some of the stupidest things, and just disrespect at times just because. Now, I will say that this isn't like it all the time, but I'm writing to make a point that my mother has put up with a lot from me. I just want to thank her for doing such. 

I know it's hard for her right now. I'm starting to do my own life, while still being a part of the family. It's really weird to think that I'm kind of my own island, but still attached to the mainland, if that makes sense. But I'm doing my own college classes, working my own job, and having my own relationship with my girlfriend, that is developing towards a life-time commitment (as it rightfully should, if done right in the courting/dating phase). But she's still amazingly smiling through it all, and loving me just the same. For that, I love you mama. <3