17 years ago this afternoon I held Robby for the first time. It is hard to believe that so much time has elapsed since that amazing day. Today my sweet little Koopa is 17!
I have to tread carefully this year when celebrating Robby. While he is excited about his birthday he is having a difficult time processing 17. Growing up is hard. Although the growth is exciting and wonderful, it can also feel frightening and overwhelming. Today I am focusing on celebrating Robby without focusing upon the number.
I feel guilty because I think that Robby's anxiety about his birthday this year may have been exacerbated by a joke I made. I was teasing him and reminded him that he had one year before he was expected to be an adult. As soon as those words hit the air he froze. I saw the panic and tears swell in his eyes and I felt shattered. Although it was unintentional, I had hurt him.
Today I'm going to focus on spoiling Robby on his special day. In addition to gifts, he has asked to go to hibachi for dinner (yum) and I am making him a special cake. His day will be rather low-key (by design) but his celebration will ramp up in a few days when we are at the WWII weekend. In the meantime, I need to work towards reminding him that he is not expected to leave in 12 months.
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