July 8, 2009 Dear X Boys

Dear X Boys,
Don't be in such a hurry to grow up.

I started thinking about that this week. Alex is trying to do everything Max does. And Max is trying to do everything everybody else does. Even more telling, Max said to mama this week "Mama, are you sad that I'm growing up to be a big boy?"

I remember when I was about 12 writing in my journal something like "I want to grow up fast because the world is changing so quickly that I'm afraid I won't be able to do the things I dream of."

Thirty-something years later I'm writing to you both that it's okay to do it all slowly. Enjoy being a kid. These times that nothing is more important than throwing a baseball or learning to climb onto the couch go so fast.

Your mama and I are a bit bewildered about how fast it's all happening. We can barely remember when Alex was a newborn doing nothing but sleeping and eating all day. This doesn't mean we're sad to see you grow and develop. Each time one of you does something new (which is almost every day it seems) is a celebration.

We also dream of the future when you go to school, bring home friends, introduce us to your first girlfriends. Your mama especially sees a bit of each of you in any wonderful young person she meets. "Do you think our boys will be like that?" she'll ask. "Is that the type of girl you see the boys dating?"

Sometimes we question whether we should be sending Max off to full-time school at three-years old. Then we see the wonder in his eyes and the excitement he gets when he learns something new and we feel he's ready. We're not trying to push him to grow up. We're trying to let him be all he can be.