It’s Miller Tyme

On Friday, May 29, my “Little Man” graduated from High School.  With me standing a mere 5’9” and him standing 6’2”, he’s not very little anymore, but he will always be my little man.  I guess it’s typical that I would sit in the audience and have memories shoot through my mind one after the other. 

Memories like…the day he was born.  They were only in the operating room for 15 minutes when I heard Josh let out a shrieking cry and I knew that, at that very moment, I had become a daddy. 

Memories like…Mom standing next to me outside the operating room saying, “Damn, he’s got a good set of lungs on him”. 

Memories like…counting his little fingers and toes to be sure all of them were there.

Memories like…the day the neurosurgeon told us that Josh had fluid on his brain, and the many visits to follow at Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory. 

Memories like…the day he was playing in the back yard in just a diaper and stepped into an ant hill.  By the time we got to him, he had them all over.  All Ronda and I could think to do was turn the garden hose on him.  It worked, but not before he was bitten all over his little body.  Ronda stopped counting the bites at 100.

Memories like…me graduating from DeVry when Josh was 5.  As I walked across the stage to get my degree, a little voice yelled out, “That’s My Daddy!”  He ran down the aisle and up onto the stage and I carried him back to his seat…one of the most precious memories I have.

Memories like…the day Ronda told me they were moving to
Montana and the day I had to say good-bye to him.  To say I was upset would be a gross understatement.

Memories like…the day Ronda called me in Minnesota (she was in Montana) and told me that he had fallen down the stairs and had a concussion.  I was a 14-hour drive away and had no money to go see him.

Memories like…the weekend I went to Montana to visit him.  It was Easter.  We went to the city park and flew a kite until it started snowing.  We had an Easter egg hunt inside the hotel room.

Memories like…estrangement from each other for 3 years.  Moving on…

Memories like…watching him at his football games and track meets, hearing his name announced over the PA system…what a proud Daddy I was.

Memories like…him getting pulled over by Forsyth County Police on his 16^th birthday to verify the validity of the dealer tag on his car.  LOL, he was scared &%$#less.

Memories like…him buying his first laptop with money he earned working at Czarnowski during the summer of 2008.

Yes, anyone who knows me knows that I am an extremely emotional boob.  This blog entry hasn’t been easy to type.  I’ve had to stop several times…if you know what I mean.

Maybe some day he’ll be doing the same thing that I’m doing now.  Maybe not.

All I know is…my “Little Man” is all grown up.  What a fine young man he has become and what a fine adult he will be.  After all, he’s my son.