Last night I watched 300 for the hundredth time, and I noticed a couple subtle details regarding the father/son relationship I hadn't noticed before. After the son had been killed, the father said he regretted he hadn't told his son that he was the son he'd loved most. Now, I don't really have that problem because he's my only son, but that's besides the point. At age 7, I can already tell he's the son I love most.
I believe when it comes to boys you never know what card you're going to be dealt. Are you going to get a crazy, loud boy that never seems to calm down? Or, will you get the boy that is calm, courteous, collected, but still has a love for boy things (sports, cars, etc)? I believe we lucked out; our boy is of the latter variety.
For me, it's the little things that make the difference. He's constantly respectful of others, especially adults. He always wants to do the right thing. This reminds me of a few times at school he would complain that if he obeyed the rules (of not running, in this case), he'd never get the good seat (or whatever). He was learning the lesson that good guys finish last. I thought for sure this would sway him to become a little insubordinate. It didn't. In fact the closest he's come to being a "bad kid" was a few weeks ago when he got suspended from school. Apparently he & a friend were horsing around when PJ bit his friend on the arm. The kid complained to the lunch lady, and PJ received a suspension. I was a little afraid that day would come, but when it did, it was easy to blow off. Boys will be boys.
He's a softy, but he still loves boy things: football, baseball, cars, 4-wheelers, motorcycles, etc. The few things we have in common, really give me hope for the future. I love these days with my son. I just hope there's still a little more uphill before things go downhill.
