Boyhood Passing

He helps me around here.  He pulled the carpet tacks out of the floor and helped haul away the old carpet.  There was no stopping him until the floor was all clear of tacks.

He and I swing until the bats come out.  He says we should count them every time.  He wants to talk with me into the night; how blessed am I. 

He went on vacation with Uncle Wayne and Aunt June.  He packed this perfectly organized suitcase himself.  

He always wears a hat, except on Sunday which we've declared our one day to enjoy the site of his shiny brown hair.  And he owns more than one black Captain America t-shirt.

He is excellent in all that he does and fries fish to perfection.

He has a highly developed sense of humor and sometimes plays the mandolin or drums. 

 Some more of the things I love about him: 

He's the only 11 year old that I know who uses the phrase, "Woe Nelly!" 

 He likes to cut down trees and make his own glue from pine tree sap and charcoal.  

One of his favorite friends (and heros) is our 82 year old neighbor, Mr. S. I love how he stalks the fence line waiting to see if Mr. S. will come out to work in his yard just so that he can snag a few minutes to talk to him.  

When I tell him how wonderful he is, he always asks me why.  I  tell him all the ways that he blesses me and why I am so proud of him.  It always takes awhile.

I've been thinking a lot of how he will turn 12 in a few months and how these little boys days are drawing to a quiet close.  So, I plan to hold his hand in parking lots every chance that I get, even though he lets go when he realizes what he's doing these days. I plan to let him come out as often as he wants and interrupt my prayers in the pine thicket, because he only wants to chat for a minute, and I hope to sit with him and count the bats into the  night for as many nights as we can see our way out to the old swing. 

Fishin' at Gar Creek