Sunday, October 5, 2008

Tribute to My Son

This past Thursday was Justin's 24th birthday. Emily and I called him in the early morning and sang Happy Birthday to him, and I enjoyed some one-on-one time with him at Red Robin in the late afternoon. We held a family party on Friday evening, with homemade pizza, rootbeer, carrot cake, and the the BYU football game.

I'm not sure why this birthday brought so much reflection for me. My sweet little boy is all grown up. How well I remember the day I held him in my arms for the very first time. Time. Where does it go? How quickly it passes. Memories of his childhood and our time together flood my mind, and my heart is full of joy at the love I feel for my Justin. Not being too skillfull at words and expressing myself, I found a poem that echoes some of the things I feel in my heart:

TRIBUTE TO MY SON
a poem by Angel Marie Schmidt
A son is born
Life goes on
No one knows
Just when it happens
But one day
A miracle happens
The child has changed

The child is no longer
A man has taken his place
All grown up
Ideas have changed
Responsibility comes easily
Parents sit back and admire
The person he has become

Apron strings cut long ago
You cannot help but wonder
Will you always feel
The way you do now?
Prouder than anyone
Of whom he has become
Admiration beyond imagination

A parent's love
Enduring all else
Wanting to be needed
Knowing when to stand aside
A fate hard to accomplish
Needing to be wanted
As if the man has not emerged

The life he lives
Has room enough for all
The thoughtfulness in his heart
His caring ways
New hobbies he shares
With friends old and new
The man shines through

My son, my child
You are a man, this is true
To me you will always be
That child in my arms
Whom I loved from the start

Happy Birthday, Justin. I love you!

7 comments:

Karen said...

What a beautiful post. How time flies, and it is so good to have the memories. Justin truly is a remarkable guy. Happy Birthday Justin!

Rachel Holloway said...

WOW, time does fly! It is so amazing....and seeing this post reminded me that i have not seen Justin in person for 5 years! MY GOODNESS!

Thanks for sharing that beautiful tribute. That is definitely something to set aside for when my kids are grown. I am sure I will feel the same way~!

Nicia said...

I think you do a great job expressing your thoughts and feelings. That was a really pretty poem, and I can see how you could relate to it so well. Happy Birthday Justin! (I hope he got the voicemail we left him on his b-day)

Michelle said...

Happy Birthday Justin! That's a great poem, too.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Justin!! Wow. I remember when I watched the three of your kids (at the time) so many summers ago. It boggles my mind that he's 24 now. Amazing. And the poem is such a thoughtful piece. I have my moments (mostly at scouts) when I realize that Kellen is growing up faster than I had first thought.

Justin said...

Thanks Mom. I love you too! :)

Grandma Danes said...

That is a wonderful tribute to Justin and he deserves it. I still remember the time he spent with us and how much we enjoyed it.