Happy Birthday to my Middle Child

[USAFAMom]

Much has been said about the "middle" child and how they might have been neglected, wronged, left out, unloved.  Thus the reasons behind their choices in life. IF they are giving their parents grief.

Well I have a "typical" middle child. However he was MY baby all the while he was growing up.  His oldest brother was off and running and never looked back, never wanted to be rocked to sleep, hit kindergarten and kept going.  My baby was just about the same.  Probably why they are now both in the AF and left home right away.   All three of them dealt with their fathers death in different ways,

My middle son seems to be the one hardest hit.  Perhaps it is because he has always had such a tender heart.  I remember the night his father died, how he sat at the end of his dad's bed just staring at him almost willing him to start breathing again, to come back to us.  He sat there till the men from the funeral home arrived at our home to take his dad away.  He is my loving son who always wanted to be rocked to sleep, cuddled and would do anything for his mommy. 

I sometimes feel he found it hard to compete with his older brother the AFA Cadet.  When you have a brother who plans to fly fighter jets , and jumps out of perfectly good airplanes for fun, its a little hard to compete.  Although I always encouraged each boy to find what made them happy in life , what they wanted to do,  what ever their choice it would be fine no matter what. 

He has had many ups and downs in the past 4 years , he has overcome his drinking problem...almost.  He has given up smoking .... almost.  He  moved back home for a while because he learned that love of family is better than friends who are gone when the money is gone.

Some children never give you a moments problem , and some are a challenge from the day they are born.  Some grow into it.  As I told the kindergarten teacher when she was frantic my youngest couldn't tie his shoes  "That's why God invented Velcro! I am sure he will learn before he goes to college"  She of course thought this was a terrible attitude to have. :)  

Children will learn to tie their shoes , go to the bathroom on their own and find their own happiness.  It  just takes a little longer for some than others.  Even if they are from the same family. 

As a mother I love all three of my children the same, they all make me proud, they all give me stress. But most of all they have given me the greatest joy of my life.  As the new country song says "Someday Your Gonna Miss This"  because I do miss those days of chaos, runny noses and untied shoes. 

BUT not enough to want to be a Grandma......just yet...

 

[GMOTM]

Mar. 31, 2008 at 9:20 PM HAPPY B-DAY MIDDLE MAN. THE TWO OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH ANOYHER YEAR. SOMETIMES ITS ONE DAY AT A TIME, SOMETIMES IT'S ONE YEAR AT A TIME, AND THERE ARE THE TIMES ITS ONE BREATH AT A TIME. LOTS OF LOVE TO MOM AND HER ENCOURAGING WAYS, I FEEL THEM.   KIM