As my wife and I allow our son to complete his birthday festivities this weekend, it is not lost on me that I only have about 5 more years before he is off to college and much bigger things. Gone will be the morning piano serenades, that have become another way for me to learn the latest in popular music. Just yesterday, I was treated to a serenade of Sam Smith's Nirvana. Were it not for Cooper, who turned 14 yesterday, I am certain I would not know this Nirvana existed (my own Nirvana being of the Cobain variety). But for a couple of weeks now, I have witnessed Cooper's familiarity and confidence with his Nirvana blossoming. One day soon, that song will disappear and a new song will appear in it's place. For our home, that has become the norm. But it was not long ago that an 8 or 9 year old Cooper walked into the house, headed straight to the piano, and began picking out a song our family had heard on the radio while driving home from the mall. I still don't really understand how some people (and I am definitely not in this group) can look at the ebony and ivory of a piano keyboard and see music. In that sense, I am amazed by the talent God has placed in our Cooper.
Gone is the little boy, born with a head full of hair and irresistible chubby cheeks, who always managed to slobber on me when I tried to kiss his little lips. Maybe, even as a baby, he was trying to declare his personal space. Gone are the days of rocking him to sleep on my chest or having him refuse to take a bottle from me when mom was nearby.Those have been replaced by a seemingly confident young man, who greets the world with sleepy eyes and a quirky, brace-filled smile. I miss my little slobber boy, but love this older version too. Even though he lacks focus, as do most of his teenage buddies, I always get the feeling that good things are happening around him. Sometimes those good things are happening as much for me as anyone.
It is ironic that I expected to have at least one sports lover, from my two boys. I hoped to have someone who could sit around watching football and futbol, or get out and play golf with me. My older son, Ford, is my sports fan and my wife, surprisingly, likes to watch and play golf. But Cooper is a streaky good golf player too. When he finds his confidence on the course, I have trouble keeping my numbers smaller than his on the scorecard. That too will be missed as he begins finding his own life beyond our household. Truth be told, between his fast growing love for music and hanging with his classmates, I have to beg him to get out and play golf with me these days. It was never really an expectation that either of my boys would share my love of music. Although my life has always had it's own soundtrack, where certain songs automatically take me to certain life experiences and times, I have always thought that was my own thing. It never dawned on me that a musical connection might be shared, or better still, taken to another level through my children. Another of life's bonuses!
Cooper's over-sized heart will likely take him much further in life than any advice I could give him. While that knowledge does not absolve me of my responsibilities as his dad, it does put my role in the proper perspective. It is a reminder that this son, that I love dearly, is blessed daily by family, friends, teachers, and even fellow students from school to church and back home. My little singer, golfer, basketball-loving, impressionist, piano playing, soccer loving, goofball has a loving heart that enjoys seeing others find success as surely as he hopes to find his own someday. He has been lucky to find reciprocity in those feelings at every turn in life thus far. While I dread the idea of sharing my little boy with this world, which might anyday mistake him for something less than the loving, kindhearted kid he is by nature. Every day I am reminded that he has so much to offer this world, and it is not all mine to keep.
And that is one GREAT life lesson that this 48 year old learned from a boy who turned 14 yesterday.
Love You Coops...to infinity and beyond. :-)
