Sharing…

We took Taylor to IWU yesterday and got him all set up in his new college room. His roommate, Derrick, is really nice and a soccer player as well. He’s from Grand Rapids, Michigan and seems like a good fit for Tay. They are in soccer training as we speak. For the next couple weeks they will have two a days and it will be tough. School doesn’t start for three weeks so they will get after it extra hard before the books get in the middle. We met a lot of folks on the team and the vibe you pick up is really, really positive. The bulk of his team is from the midwest but he’s got freshmen from Spain, Costa Rica, and Africa adding to the mix. I’m happy for him and hoping for the best. We will keep him in our prayers, hearts, and call him often. He’s ready for this next step. 

Miss and I will make it through as everyone does, with a noticeable hole in our hearts. And, we’ll learn to thank God for it. We’ll take comfort knowing this ache indicates we are made for this and so much more. We have been so blessed to be with him exclusively in our home for nearly 19 years. Now, we’ll learn to share him. God is good. He must save the best for last in every family.

As we said our final goodbye’s yesterday I hugged him tight, kissed his head, his face, and then his head again. I love kissing my son on the side of his head. This time, however, was a bit different and significantly more difficult. As I squeezed my son’s shoulders and felt him squeeze mine, I whispered in his ear all I could muster in the moment; “You belong here, son, you belong here, son, you belong here.” As I slowly loosened my grip on him, I reminded him to act like he belongs here, play like he belongs here, get after it like he belongs here. His response was all a Dad needs to hear. He smiled and said my name with a long Oh in front of it.

“Oh Chetters, I know I do and you know I will.”

I know he does. I know he will. It’s good. It is good to ache. It is good to know we all gotta bookend love and loss on our way to belonging and becoming. Remember, all humans are wired to belong and become. We all deeply desire to belong in some form of community. We want to belong to family, friends, and some form of a few. And, we all gotta become the original God created us to become. We all gotta find our own way and figure out how to fly. We all gotta belong and become and these babies are going to generate some division within. Sometimes we’re going to sacrifice something belonging; sometimes becoming. And, sometimes we’re simply learning to see the entire process as some form of sharing. Funny, huh…

Thanks, God, for allowing us 19 exclusive years with our son. And, here’s to sharing him with IWU, his new friends and some form of a few. And, God, this sharing thing is real,hard,work, but you already know this. Sometimes, I guess, it’s just helpful for me to share even what we know each other knows. Thanks, those that made it this far, for sharing. Thanks for sharing…