Really?
I hardly noticed my facial expression.
The only thing I could think of… the only thing foremost in mind… was seeing my son Sean walk through the door and say, “Hi, Mom.”
And he did…
And I smiled.
Sean just got back from his first Boy Scout camping trip without a parent.
Yep, you read that right. I actually let him go off into the woods and spend almost a full 48 hours without me or my husband.
And no… I was neither high nor drunk when the decision was made.
Sean had been talking about it for a while. I swore it was never going to happen. It wasn’t even in the realm of my deepest imagination. But when my work schedule and Life collided, the thought was born.
Camping…Without us?
No… not in my lifetime.
But it did.
And Sean was thrilled.
Of course upon his arrival back home he looked to be in layers of clothing and was absolutely filthy but a good shower and a change of clothes would fix that.
The bottom layer looked to be the same outfit that he left in on Friday… Hmmm…. Was it the forgetfulness of an autistic child or the typical poor hygiene of a teenage male?
I wonder….
Either way off he went to get clean with a shouted reminder to use soap…lots of it.
Ahhh…. It’s good to have him home.
Once he was showered and changed – and reminded to put on deodorant – Sean shared some of the weekend with us.
Did he sleep well? No.
Did he eat all the stuff we sent along with him in case he couldn’t eat the camp food provided due to texture issues? Yes.
What was the worst part? Mom and Dad not being there to always rub him.
What was the best part? Mom and Dad not being there to constantly watch over him.
Oh stake through my heart my little boy didn’t pine away miserably for me!
I can’t believe he spent the weekend camping without either one of us.
Actually, truthfully, I can.
Sean is an amazing kid. He always has been.
But who would have thought?
I’ve tried to think about it in terms of his first day at the junior high. I wasn’t there to hold his hand or make sure he had the right books for the right class. I wasn’t there to make sure he ate his lunch or to help him navigate the halls. I wasn’t there to remind him to wash his hands.
But he does it all… with the exception, of course, of washing his hands.
Sean has been pushed to see how far he can go and he’s never failed.
He’s tripped and fallen. He’s had a meltdown after a really bad day.
But he’s always demanded to go back and try again…. Even when I didn’t think it was a good idea.
Then again, it really is my own over-protectiveness that at times seems to limit him.
Sean doesn’t see limits. He wants it all. He wants to do everything.
And you know what? After this weekend, I think he will…dirty hands and all.
