When 20 comes and goes...

It's hard for me to believe, but my DS 1 turned twenty this past weekend. We celebrated quietly with family yesterday. He celebrated with his friends earlier in the weekend.

As you know, our weekend was filled to the brim with activities....so his birthday kind of snuck up on me. For that matter, twenty snuck up on me!

Here's a note from a sappy emotional Mother to her first-born son:

Son,

I am so proud of the young man you have become! When I think back over the years, I remember again and again those older than I telling me "it will be gone in the blink of an eye" or "enjoy these moments" "they grow so quickly". And now, I can join the crowd of those who know just what those words mean.

I could spend time looking back, but I don't want to do that right now. I think you are embarking on an amazing segment of your life. And I'm proud to be here to see it.

I remember reading the last sermon of David Crowder's pastor, Kyle Lake, that he planned to give on the day he died in a tragic accident at church a few years ago. These words have stuck with me since I read them. They are powerful...especially in light of his situation. I hope they will do the same for you, not because I think of tragedy, but because I know life is so so precious and time really does pass very quickly...

Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do
not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day,
roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of
the sun. If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to
FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel
and LOSE track of time. If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash
well.

Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project
thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your
3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all…
because soon he’ll be wiping his own. If you’ve recently experienced loss, then
GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re
eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke.

And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste
every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of
Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."

I can wish you no greater thing than that, son, as you take another step into your adult life. You are a gift from God and He has given you so much. My prayer is that you "Live and Live Well"!!

I Love YOU!!