Today is a very special day – my firstborn son turns 12. The cliche is so true – time goes by fast. On this special occasion I find myself reminiscing back to that moment when I found out I was pregnant. We had struggled with infertility for 3.5 years, which is not a long time but long enough. I remember bursting into tears as soon as I saw that blue line appear. Then I fell to my knees, thanking God for giving me the miracle of new life.
My first son made me a mother, my husband a father, and my parents grandparents. He came into the world after 31 hours of tough labor, ending in an unexpected c-section. I was exhausted and a physical mess, but the feeling of elation upon meeting my baby is indescribable. After four painful c-sections, I still wish I could give birth over and over again just to experience that sheer, unadulterated joy. To me, that first cry is a glorious instant of heaven meeting earth.
My son welcomed us into a world we had desperately dreamed of joining – that of parenthood. He has enriched us and stretched us in ways that I could have never imagined. With his arrival I saw a new side of my husband – that of a wonderful father capable of much love and sacrifice. I saw my parents joyfully obsess over his well-being and my sisters delight in his every move. Kids really do bring the best out of people.
My son is a noble boy with a strong moral compass, hardworking, responsible and persevering. He is also shy, anxious and struggles in social situations. However, the few friendships that he enjoys are loyal and wholesome. He is a dutiful and kind big brother to his three younger siblings. He is faithful and obedient. He is a voracious reader who is currently reading all of J.R.R Tokien’s novels, much to the delight of his bibliophile father. He is crazy about hockey and a worthy chess player. I’m starting to see glimmers of the great man that he could one day be.
I’m proud of this boy and so grateful to him for giving me the gift of motherhood. Tonight, to celebrate this momentous milestone, my husband and I are attending a course on parenting adolescents. And who is providing very affordable babysitting? My newly minted 12-yr-old son!
Happy birthday dear son. May God bless you today and every day of your beautiful life.
