My handsome Son turned 16 today. All 6″ 1′ of him. His hair has darkened over the last few years framing his deep blue eyes and his beautiful face. He as the most amazing bow shaped lips. People would pay fortunes to have these shapely lips. He does not get them from me let me assure you! Mine don’t exist!! His perfect white teeth sit happily behind them ready to emerge when prompted. He has a great sense of humor too. He is so talented with impersonating voices, characters and other accents. When I feel fed up and down I ask him to ‘Do your South American’. Our last holiday in Disneyland, saw me follow him around like some crazy fan asking him to copy the accents of the all the rides, films, shows and attractions we saw! I did not stop laughing at him. He is so funny, clever and quick-witted. He really did make my holiday and even now, almost a year on from that time together, we often spend evenings as he revisits the one liners, the jokes and the banter we had in Florida. I dare you not to laugh at him!
He is growing up to be a loving, caring, thoughtful, and sensitive young man. His style and identify have changed this year, and he he has had to deal with a lot on a personal level with lock-down, school, friendships, and all the other adolescent development challenges young people have to steer themselves through. But we are proud of you. We love you dearly and you, my only Son, are brilliant. I am very very lucky to have you, and please tell me the story about the honey bees and the elephants!!
Sadly, and I write this feeling heavy hearted, guilty and sad. I had my chemo today too. We opened his presents, ate his favorite breakfast. He went off to school as I went off to hospital for round 6. TWO MORE TO GO!! That kept me focused on the positives today at the unit, and as I was texting my son wishing him Happy 16th for the thirtieth time today, his smile kept me going too. We can’t have a big party due to me and COVID rules, which is rubbish as it is his 16th – a milestone day. But he went out tonight with his friends to the pub we works in (where they love him) for food. He had a good night. But sadness dripped through me as I would have loved to have made more of a fuss for him than I did. I couldn’t really – but I am gutted for him/me/our family. Bloody chemo got in the way and stopped me. But it won’t stop my Son continuing to develop into a young adult, experiencing the joys and fun that life has to offer him. It might be able to stop my hair from growing right now, but it won’t stop that.
Happy Birthday mate x x x x