College Boy....

If I let him get two steps ahead of me, I couldn't catch him. College Boy must have been the fastest two year old that ever lived - I became adept at snatching up the collar of his shirt, or the waistband of his pants - what ever I could grab first...I developed a 6th sense about when he was getting ready to make a break for it! I am sitting here, anxiously awaiting the sounds of car doors closing - signaling his arrival,  which will mean the holidays may commence. Back in August, I wondered what this would feel like...wondered if I could survive until Thanksgiving. This is not the first time that he has been home since he left for school, but it will be the longest that he has been home since he gained his new name...."College Boy." Somehow, I feel as if I wasn't able to grasp a piece of his clothing - I let him get more than two steps ahead, and now, I can't catch him. In the minutes after he was born, to the amazement of all of the medical personnel in the room, he raised his head and looked towards the sun streaming in through the window...he has kept his face to the sun ever since. He inherited his Dad's happy heart...he didn't crawl - it wasn't fast enough to suit him. He would raise up on all fours, locate his desired destination, drop back down to the floor and roll, until he arrived...once he learned upright locomotion, he didn't walk, he pranced on his tippy toes - his entire being vibrating with excitement and enthusiasm. He learned how to keep a beat when he was just a couple of months old - he would bounce up and down in his car seat, keeping time to the music...any music. (I should have known then that he would grow up to be an impressive musician!) He could light up a room, and light up a heart (still can), in a New York Minute.  He was bright, inquisitive, competitive, funny, loving....he prayed every night for the planets - naming them, in order, no less....and although I have no idea what he prays for at night these days, I know that he is still all of those things. He is an artist, a poet, a leader, a faithful friend, an athlete, strong as an ox, a person of faith...he has a wonderful sense of humor, a gift for mimicry, and a love for animals. He is good big brother, and an amazing son, and I miss him more than mere words could ever convey....I miss my little buddy - the 3 year old who could name all of the dinosaurs....I miss the 8 year old who would sit on my lap and tell me all about his day....I miss the 11 year old who left bits and pieces of a vast collection of Bionicles all around the house, I miss the 14 year old who wanted me to mind my own beeswax, I miss the 16 year old who was so proud of his new found independence....I miss the music - of his guitar, and of his soul....but he is out there - face turned to the sun, looking in the direction of his bright and shiny future....and I am here, waiting for the closing of a car door - waiting for the moment when home feels like home again, and we are all once again together. I am Thankful today, for the gift of my Son - my priceless treasure - my College Boy.