He made me a Mama

What better day than his 20th birthday could there be to tell you how awesome my son is?
Yeah, I know, all Mommies love their babies.
But as my son has gotten older and more mature, he is becoming a (gulp) MAN who I am truly proud of.

He is a very hard worker.  He gets to work early and stays as long as he is needed.  He takes his job seriously and is very reliable.
He has a wicked, fantastic sense of humor.
He's friendly and polite, especially to little kids and old people.

But let me tell you what makes me the most proud of all.
This boy LOVES his family.
He has such a strong sense of love, devotion, and obligation to his family.
But not obligation in a negative way.
If his family is having a gathering - he WILL be there, if at all possible.
Not because it's expected of him, but because he wants to be there.  That's his family.
He has a four year old half-sister, his dad's daughter, whom he adores.  She was born when he was 16, a time when many boys would have been way too busy for a baby sister.  But not my son - he is a wonderful brother.
And my great-niece, Hayleigh?  OMG.
He ADORES her.  When they are together, he is playing with her nearly the entire time.  The rest of the time, he's feeding her.  She LOVES her Timmy.  He crawls on the floor with her, throws her in the air, and absolutely DELIGHTS her.
Any time my family gets together, my son is there.  Not because I guilt him into it- not at all.  Because he truly wants to be there.

And since my Dad's illness, he has proven himself more than ever.
Last night, when Tim got off work, he came straight to the hospital.  I expected him to make an appearance, chat with everyone, then leave.
But - no.  He stayed until I left at about 10pm.  He visited his Papa and then spent time with the rest of the family.  Because he wanted to.
And then .... today.  While I slept, he went to the hospital.  He left his home and drove to the hospital and spent time with his papa and the rest of our family.  I had nothing to do with it, and it wasn't because he was asked to....he WANTED to.  Because he understands the value of family.

I am immensely proud of this kid. This evening as I was leaving the hospital, I was explaining to my Dad why I was leaving.  Tim is here at my house tonight with some friends, having a little birthday celebration, and I needed to get home with pizza and soda, and to bake a cake.  I said to my Dad, "You remember today is Tim's birthday, right?" And my dad said "YES I do, and he came and visited me today.  And stayed for a LONG TIME."

I am not the only one who is proud of my son - my whole family is.   And sure, it's nice to receive compliments about yourself - but a MILLION times better for your family to tell you how awesome your kids are.

Happy 20th Birthday to the boy who made me a Mama!!