Time to shed a tear, my practice son and nephew Dylan is 17 today. I think the lump in my throat is so large because I realize that he has one more year before he heads off to college. I always get teary on his birthday, maybe it's because he's the oldest.
My little snuggle buddy who used to wrap his hands in my hair and fall immediately to sleep. If I knew he needed a nap but was being difficult, I would say, "Dylan can you rub my head please". He would be sound asleep in seconds.
I sat on the front steps every Saturday morning watching him color with chalk. Some mornings it was chilly so he'd have on his Tiger slippers and a hoodie because he didn't want to miss his morning tradition. We did chalk bodies up and down the sidewalk often and he would giggle. We'd color inside with his coneEze..that's what he called crayons;) He's always been artistic and I love seeing what he'd create.
I remember one Halloween when I went to pick him up at pre-school and the teacher pulled me aside and said she was concerned because Dylan's pumpkin had tears. That perhaps something was going on it home that needed to be discussed. I asked him about it when we got home and he said, "You'd cry too if someone was carving your face up", lol. That's Dylan, the kind hearted, soft soul who thinks outside the box.
That little boy who has grown up. But I'm fortunate enough to still see him a few times a week...he comes to eat so I always try to keep some of his favorites on hand. But he also comes to hang out and those are the moments I charish the most because I took for granted that I would always have him to talk to. It was a learning curve when he needed me less.
When he walks in the door now, I almost always catch my breath. He's quite a bit taller than me, voice is deep and that shy smile..yeah it's still there but it's not attached to a little boy any longer, it's on the face of a young man. A young man that I am proud to call my nephew.
Happy Birthday D!! I love you past the stars!
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