In the Blink of an Eye

Bob came across a photo of Danny while doing some work on his computer.  I think it was from when he was in maybe 2nd or 3rd grade.  It was "dress like a hippy" day at school and we helped rig Danny with a headband, tie-dye shirt and beads.  Oh, and sideburns.  He looked so cute, so young, so clueless.  Back then he would wear pretty much anything we told him to wear, trusting that we would make sure he looked cool.  Nowadays, he decides what he'll wear and thinks he is infinitely cooler than us, and I guess he is, though I take pride in keeping up with a young attitude and having shows like "Glee" and "American Idol" on my dvr schedule.  I can really hardly remember this day that Danny dressed like a Beatle.  We think we will remember so much of our kids' lives but really it is just snippets, flashbulb moments that can be triggered by a photo, a song, maybe an art project we keep in a over-stuffed drawer in our bedroom.  There are so many moments in a day, so many days in a year, years in a lifetime.  We should be more present in the our days; more aware of these precious moments with our kids.  Danny is in the other room as I type this, engrossed in a game on his laptop with his cell phone always at his side..his lifeline to his friends.  He has changed so much since this photo was taken; his voice is low, he is as tall as me, and he has inside jokes with friends, drama at middle school to which I am not privy.  But I still cherish mothering him, even though it has become less of a nurturing relationship and more of a service job.  Rides to and from tennis lessons, cooking steak and baking cookies, making sure his P.E. uniform is back in his backpack on Monday morning.  We laugh at "The Office" together; he understands all the jokes now and quotes from episodes the way I used to from "Seinfeld" back in its glory years.  I love being his mom; it has been amazing to see him grow.  Oh, and it may not be long before he has sideburns once again, but this time they won't be the type I can peel off at the end of the day.