You say its your birthday

My son is 11 years old today. If one pays attention, watching our children grow up can be so much more insightful than our own growing. Of course I still have many strong memories from when I was 11 years old, one being that I carved my initials along with this girl's in every tree and wet cement patch I could find that summer. But the other strong memory I have that I now see in my son is of starting to take on REAL responsibilities. I remember carrying a package to or from school. It was heavy and fragile and I knew that they should not have entrusted it to my clumsy hands. Yet for that reason I undertook this mission with more gravity and care than I knew I had. I watch as AABoy takes on similar tasks and I realize that the judicious placement of expectation on our kids is necessary to their proper growth. Happy 11th AABoy!