The Big 1-0

I am the mother of a ten year old boy.  How is that possible?  Yesterday was Jack's 10th birthday - the big 1-0, the end of single digits ages and the beginning of the double digits - although Jack says he might very well reach triple digits one day.  I remember when a good friend's son turned 10 a few years ago and I thought - wow, that's crazy.  Now here I am, 10 years after giving birth to this wonderful person, wondering "How did this go by so fast?"

Whenever I tell patients that I have two children ages 6 and 10, they smile, shake their heads knowingly and say, "Enjoy every minute of it."  I am trying desperately to do so.  I watched the two of them running around the front yard the other night, joyfully trying to catch lightning bugs, long legged and full of happy squeals.  I looked at my husband and said "This is the height of their childhood, you know.  This is it - this is what they will remember when they look back on growing up together." 

Jack is at that age where he still has that sweet innocence of a child, but his personality grows larger and more complex every day - and every now and then I catch a glimpse of the teenager he will inevitably become, an occasional burst of attitude and defiance that comes out when I least expect it.  But then it's gone and he's back to being my sweet little boy, hugging me and calling me the best mom ever.  I try to grab hold of that and not let go - I know one day things will change, at least for a while.  I wish I could freeze time, just for a little bit, so that I can hold onto what he is now. 

So Happy Birthday - my special boy :)  I'm sure the next 10 years will be full of wondrous surprises too!