His cookie crumbs fell to the floor, he drank his milk in
two gulps and then he asked for more. We
sat in the dining room at the oval oak table and he told me about his day. I sat right next to the teenage boy when he
wondered why and when he said he couldn't believe it and when he laughed out
loud. I wondered how I ever got to be so lucky and
how he managed to grow up so fast. I sat right next to him and I hoped he would
never stop talking to me.
I saw the writing on his arms when he finally took his coat
off. The teenage boy’s arm was covered
in pink marker. I saw the word “Hi”
with a heart dotting the “i”. There were
smiley faces with hearts for eyes. There
was a phone number or two with hearts at the end of each number.
GIRLS.
Girls had done that to my boy.
I promise that someday, I will be open minded enough to
accept whatever wonderful girl the teenage boy chooses to bring home to his
loving mother.
Today is not that day.
Today these girls cover him in ink. They flirt with their
markers. They take his coat when they
are cold. They paint their yoga pants on
and wear low cut shirts. They bend over
forward and take a selfie. They post it
to Instagram. They screech the teenage
boy’s name in the hallway when they see him.
Hugging is not optional. They eat
parts of his lunch because they are “literally” starving to death. Their lives
become complete when the red Starbucks Christmas cups arrive. They fill them with coffee because last night
they became part of #teamnosleep because they “literally” could not stop
watching Pretty Little Liars. They wear
their Victoria’s Secret “Pink” sweats on days like this. They
can’t believe how ugly they look when they are “scrubbin’”. They rest their head with its perfectly flat
ironed hair on the teenage boy’s shoulder and pull out their sad puppy dog eyes. Did he know that they will “literally” die if
their parents don’t buy them the newest iPhone? Today these girls are 14 years old. Today they
drive me nuts.
Someday they won’t, however.
Someday they will learn how to flirt with their brains and not their
markers. Someday they will post a selfie that isn’t R rated. Someday they will remember their own coat and
their own lunch. They will
realize that the coffee tastes the same no matter what color the cup is. They will go to sleep before midnight because
they have goals they want to accomplish the next day. They will realize that
even on their “scrubbin’” days they look awfully darn cute. Someday they will realize their wavy hair is
absolutely perfect just as it is. Someday they won’t need to communicate with
puppy dog eyes. Someday they will be
well spoken, smart, thoughtful young women who buy their own iPhones.
He will wonder why and he will
not believe it and he will laugh out loud.
He will wonder how he ever got to be so lucky.
I will sit right next to him and hope that he never stops
talking to me.
Check This Out!
My friend from high school, Andrea, in addition to being one of the funniest people I know, is an awesome cook. One of my favorite recipes of hers is also one of the simplest.
Throw some chicken thighs in a crock pot. Pour in two cans of Herdez salsa
and two bay leaves. Cook it for quite some time on high or even longer on low. Andrea sometimes throws in a can of green chiles as well. Use the meat for tacos or whatever else sounds good.
Last time I made this I only used 3 large chicken thighs, 1 can of salsa, a splash of water and forgot the bay leaves. I cooked it on high for about 4 hours and then turned it to low for another hour and a half. It was still awesome.
Also, if you live near me and need a real estate agent you should contact Andrea. She is an honest, approachable "Fancy Real Estate Lady-FREL" and comes highly recommended by all who know her. Check out her Facebook page here.