BOYS WILL BE BOYS!

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Everything looks different when your child is behind the wheel. The parked cars look dangerously close, thirty miles an hour feels like forty and it seems to take twice as long to get to where we're going.

My fifteen year old, Ben, drove to school this morning. I rode shotgun, his brothers prayed in the backseat. The saving grace is that we only live about ten minutes from his High School...The reality is..rush hour traffic, is rush hour traffic.

But, I was bound and determined to stay calm. No flailing hands or guttural sighs, no panicked pleas or sudden screeches...Just "calm" mom, sweetly singing his praises. 10 year old Zachary shouts out, "Is he doing better than Johnny and Mackie when they first drove?" One millisecond pause and my brain spit out, "Yes-of course!" Who am I to cast doubt on my driver when my life, his life and the lives of his brothers are in his hands, wrapped around the driving wheel. Self confidence is half the battle...and besides, I've blocked out the other driving experiences, because if I hadn't, Ben may not be driving today.

Ben's a great kid...like me, an old soul and the middle child. Although these days he's more like the oldest since his brothers mostly enjoy room and board with us...But that's okay...moving up in the pecking order is one of those rites of passage...just like driving your parent's car to school for the first time.

I still remember vividly the day-at age 4-when Ben marched into the kitchen after camp...grabbed a mop bucket, turned it over, stood on top and stuck his hand under the running water in the sink... I said, "What are you doing?" "I hurt my hand bowling," he answered in a deep, throaty voice. No whining or crying or mommy it hurts...he behaved just like a big boy...way beyond his years.

So-you see, I'm counting on that maturity to carry us to and from school these days...and afterwards --when he'll be flying through the streets alone--music blaring--the cell phone ringing...Believe me--I have no illusions...with two down and number three getting started...and two more to go...
Ultimately-I know, boys will be boys!

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