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| Bluff overlooking Teklanika River, Denali Natʻl Park, Alaska |
What am I most proud of? Heʻs standing there in front of me. Over 15 years in the making and an ever amazing work in progress. The most precious part of my life. My son, Connor.
He has stood up for kids who were being bullied. Years afterward, he was bullied but somehow found it within himself to walk away and not give the offender the satisfaction of knowing he was bothered by it. I really donʻt think thereʻs a mean bone in his body.
Heʻll play video games till the cows come home but will help me out with ideas for crafts Iʻm completing. Proof that kids can make something without a joystick, left trigger, X to jump and Y to exit.
He loves to ride a fast, stinky, noisy snowmachine across the tundra but is content to sit quietly and fish on a summer day. Or hike the river with Auntie Ti.
When he was in first grade, someone made fun of him for coloring a giraffe green. It hurt his feelings very much. He told me about it when he got home. I asked if he remembered what Iʻd always told him about art. He said, "yes, you said art is whatever you make it and you can do it however you want because thatʻs why itʻs called art". His teacher said the next time they had an art project Connor very nicely shared our thought about what art is. There were no more problems and, in fact, the other kid loosened up with his own art guidelines. Too funny! Wonder if there were purple hippopotomuses and pink iguanas in class that day.
Oh and heʻs taller than me. In case he reads this at some point Iʻd better include it. Taller. Taller. Taller.
At times the teenage attitude rears its ugly head. Thankfully not often so far. We butt heads at times but thatʻs to be expected. No grudges are held and things resolve quickly because we talk. Ok sometimes we go to separate rooms to cool off but in the end itʻs only a matter of minutes before weʻre back on track.
He has a heart of gold, filled with love and kindness. As painful as it is at times to
see him hurt by words or actions, heʻs well enough grounded that he bounces back. Onward and upward!
He has remained true to himself and not been swayed by the "in crowd" to do otherwise. In fact, one kid told him "you never want to do anything (drinking, out past curfew, shoplift) because your dadʻs a cop and your momʻs a dispatcher" to which he answered "No! I donʻt want to do those things because theyʻre wrong to do no matter who my parents are". Bam! (And, yes, I know itʻs dumbfounding to think kids his age are already drinking. Unfortunately in my line of work weʻve seen them as young as 10 years old.) Heʻs a freshman now and, though high school years can be rough, so far so good.
Letʻs hope his strength and character hold strong. I know there will be slips along the way but isnʻt that how you learn life best? He has family here to support him through it all, too, which I think in many cases tips the scales in a kidʻs favor.
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On an earlier post mentioning the trip to Teklanika, pictured above and below, my sister commented: "Interesting how sometimes we forget how quickly our little babies are maturing. How we just assumed all these years that they were ignoring those 'boring' moments with us. When in actuality they have weaved them so quietly into their own fuzzy sweaters of life that they love to snuggle with. Sis" Love the way you worded that, Sis. And oh how true.
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On an earlier post mentioning the trip to Teklanika, pictured above and below, my sister commented: "Interesting how sometimes we forget how quickly our little babies are maturing. How we just assumed all these years that they were ignoring those 'boring' moments with us. When in actuality they have weaved them so quietly into their own fuzzy sweaters of life that they love to snuggle with. Sis" Love the way you worded that, Sis. And oh how true.
