Not so Little, Not so Big!

Today, we celebrate Jonah's 11th birthday. He is in the 5th grade, completing his first year of tackle football, asking sometimes profound questions, but still a little boy. The question is, when will / should he "grow up"?

Some kids grow up faster than they mature. My wife and I have always felt that most kids are too quick to be "bigger". We also feel like many parents are in too big a hurry as well. Sometimes we think our kids are too naive, but that's OK. We don't want our kids to grow up as much as we want them to mature, at the right pace for them.

Jonah has his issues. We all do. He is not the biggest, the fastest, the strongest or the smartest. That's fine. He IS one of the most loving, most creative, most eager to please little boys that you will ever find. He is well mannered and perhaps a little too mature to get along with the average 5th grader. Jonah is just fine. Dad just needs to remember all of these things when dealing with Jonah.

I want him to be the best man he can be so badly, I push a little too much. I see the potential, and I want to pull it out of him by force. Then, I see my little boy in his eyes and I want to keep that child forever. It's tough being a Dad. especially with little boys who aren't so little anymore.