Letter to my son

My eldest son is graduating. I want to hold him longer.

When you were born my mom bought a book for me to read to you. It was written by her favorite author, Karen Kingsbury. It is called "Let me hold you longer" and it's about a mother that lovingly watches her child grow up and at every milestone asks for the ability to just hold him a little longer.
The desire is to keep our children small and innocent. We long for the days when they would run to us with every little thing from bug bites, to road kill it was all important. The first time they figure out how to draw a house and oh the excitement that brought! Just a square and a triangle stacked together was as big as finding the cure for cancer. The first chess game, obsession with trains that sped past the classroom, the first cursive letter, the first time someone asked to play with you, the first bee sting, first soccer goal, baseball hit, basket shot, lone bike ride, crush on a young lady, first time behind the wheel of a car, I watched all the firsts thus far and enjoyed every moment.
Here we are, you are 19 years old and about to enjoy another monumentous moment in time, your high school graduation.
Oh, dear God, let me hold him longer!

It was just yesterday I was at my own graduation. I was standing on a stage in front of my family and all my friends giving a speech about how the events of 9/11 brought us together as a nation and closer as a church family. I was wearing a royal blue cap and gown, I remember being hot in the getup. After graduation our backyard was busy with family there just for me, to celebrate the great accomplishment of graduation. Twelve years of hard work come to an end, a chapter written and locked in the book of my life. Turns out yesterday was 23 years ago and here I am preparing for a similar party for my son, a time of honor just for him, a couple hours to celebrate the closing of this chapter in his life and the beginning of the next.

These last few weeks feel like they are dragging on and on dear son, you want to be done with school, the smells, the sounds, the Obama lunches you are tired of hearing the warning bell in your sleep, ready for new people. you are bursting to break free but also a bundle of nerves. What's next you wonder, where do I go from here? That question plagued me and a lot of people said that I could do anything but I never believed them. I want you to believe me when I tell you the same thing, you-can-do-anything! You have all the tools you need to become anyone you want. All I want is just to hold you longer.

What will you do, where will you go, how will you get there, who will you meet along the way, what kind of man will you become? I wish I had a crystal ball, the ability to see into the future to answer all these nagging questions for both of us but all I can say is, I don't know, but God does. If you stay close to God the What, Where's, How's, and Whos will answer themselves, you will just know what the next right step is and you will keep taking those steps to a beautiful life. I will be happy as long as I get to hold you longer.

Here is some advice, just things I have learned over the course of my life and yours:
Life is just a bunch of wibbly-wobbly-timey-whimy-stuff -David Tennant Dr. Who
If at first you don't fricassee, fry, fry, a hen-Carol Brink Author
There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still-Corrie Ten Boom Holocaust Survivor
Watch out for that Tree! George of the Jungle Movie
Just Keep Swimming-Dory Movie
We have an anchor that keeps that soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the ROCK which can not move-Priscilla Owens Hymn Writer
BUT GOD-Josh Fryman Pastor
Prayer moves God, God moves people-Corey Meyer Missionary to Spain
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance-Thomas Sowell Economist
If you stop learning you start dying- Your loving Mom
Don't put God in a box!-Also my own quote

Here's to the next chapter. I can not wait for you to live and to read it back one day. Thank you for being an amazing son, a hard working student, a patient young man and for leaning on me for life's hard decisions. It's been an honor watching you grow and although I want to hold you longer, I know I have to let you go.

Gods so good to give me so many blessings undeserving though I am.