|
On this, the fourteenth day of November, my youngest
son turned fourteen years old. Marty and I stood before
the large mirror over our fireplace tonight, back to back,
shoulder to shoulder and carefully measured the tops of
our heads. His reflection grinned at me, those openly
mischievous blue eyes so pleased with their view
that his back straightened noticeably and pressed more firmly
against mine. Without a doubt, he is taller than me, his
blond, mussed hair rising above my darker crown, his rigidly-
held shoulders a bit higher than mine.
I have always believed Marty would become the tallest
of my two boys. Perhaps I misinterpreted his slim build
as an indication of future height; Jim, already a full head
taller than Marty and still growing, is conclusive proof
that a heavier frame may shoot upwards forever. Yet, I'll
cling to my original prediction. I can visualize Marty as
a lanky, loose-jointed six-footer who eventually catches
up with Jim, realizing the long awaited satisfaction of
looking down on his big brother.
The power is there to propel him high above the rest
of us. Leaning against his sturdy back, I was touched by
the strength surging within him, newly aware of the comfort
and protection those fine, wide shoulders offered.
Heralding a noisy, unrestrained exuberance, Marty's
spontaneous smile has always been the biggest thing about
him, the first personality trait noticed and the last to
be forgotten, many times to the detriment of deeper, less
obvious qualities he possesses. Tonight his grin was there --
as bold and frequent and big and irreverent as ever -- and
his laughter vibrated through the house. Thank God he will
never outgrow the gayety that is so much a part of him.
But something else was there too, which seemed to say, "Go
ahead, Mom, lean on me. I can hold you up!�
My son stood beside me, easily providing steady support,
delighted with the power spreading through his superior
frame. Pictured in our mirror was a young man who, upon
discovering a large, inner store of positive masculinity,
happily let it burst forth to straighten his back, lift
his shoulders, raise his chine, and mark his boyish
features with an expression of pride and confidence that
suddenly became greater than his enormous smile.
|
|
|