Sunday, December 29, 2013

Peanut Butter Proud

I hear the alarm clock go off several times before the bedroom door opens and a deep male voice calls down the hall, "Hey, Mom, would you make me a lunch to take with me?"

"Sure! What do you want?"

"Peanut butter, please," says Daniel.

I can honestly tell you that even though I have made him more peanut butter sandwiches than I can count through the years, I joyfully made that sandwich for my son. In fact, I am so pleased as punch peanut butter to do things for him!

Daniel has been home after his first semester of college and I am so proud of him! He studied and practiced and earned a 3.44 GPA, even with a couple of hiccups of sleeping through a class or two and not quite making the grade for his ear training class. Those things happen and it's part of learning to be independent.

He also walked in the door with a big bag of laundry and then proceeded to throw a load in the washer on his own (and then I gladly helped later). I told him that I actually got excited when I saw the bag of laundry come out of his friend's truck when I picked him up at the meeting place across town. I'm proud and thankful to do things for my son because he doesn't demand that I do it. He asked nicely for the sandwich and he didn't expect that I would take over the laundry bag.

I'm also proud of my son for how hard he has been willing to work at his part-time job while he's been home for Christmas. His manager at the Lifeway store downtown had told him in August that he could come back to work when he was home for breaks, and Daniel gladly took him up on his offer. He has put in 25-30 hours each week and has enjoyed getting to be back working with his coworkers there and getting to help customers. He also had fun choosing some gifts for his family this year.

Daniel has found a church to attend and serve through in Knoxville. It makes this mom proud and thankful to know that he is thriving there in his home away from home and has made time for what is important in life.

He'll be heading back to school in about a week and I will once again miss having him in the same ZIP code. But it's the kind of missing that a mom's heart knows is right and is how it's supposed to be. And that makes me even more proud!

No comments: