Fillin' Some Big Shoes

My eldest is nearly 18 - when I say nearly, I mean nearly. He will be 18 in May. He is the spitting image of his dad, or so I am told. I was never good at looking at my children and seeing my husband or myself in them. He will graduate from high school this year - but that is another post.

Meanwhile, he has been looking for a job for almost a year, to no avail. Now, I do not want you to think I have raised a loafer and that he has never worked a day in his life. He started his own lawn mowing service when he was a teen/tween and continued it successfully for two years. Since then, he has worked on and off for the last couple of years for his dad and uncle. Lately, he has been putting in a lot of hours (some times 8 to 10 hour days two to three days a week) and still making sure to get all of his required school work accomplished by the end of the week. The latter is more of a shock to me then the long work hours. He has never been afraid of work. Sometimes, however, he views his school work as pointless. Can't say I am not in his camp many times, but it is required to graduate, so he drudges through it. ~ oops, got a little off point there

Anyway, with his busy work schedule, I am seeing less and less of him. It is just the girls and I more and more often at home. I know it is just another stage of our family life - another one full of mixed emotions. Pride and Excitement - I am so proud to see my son grow into a man and work hard and take ownership over his life. Sadness and Fear - It is hard to imagine it is this time already.