He Still Needs Me

OK, so yesterday I told you about the card Elizabeth made me for Mother's Day, and how it blessed my heart. Well, Jessica - having only boys - wanted to know what my boys said in their "cards." She wanted to know what to expect when hers are a little older.
And in responding to her, I had to laugh.
Matthew was entirely too excited about his Mother's Day gift. When he came out of school Friday he was jumping around and gave me my gift right then. No waiting until Sunday for him! It was a cute pen his teacher had made to look like a flower. There was also a card which he made on the computer and it says: (By the way, I am entering it JUST LIKE Matthew did - lack of punctuation, and all. *grin*)

Happy Mother's Day. Hi mom you rock and I'm proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you have a very good mothers day this fine may day please enjoy this card I made for you I worked very hard to make this card.

All the flowers bloom in May...To honor you on mother's day:)

I love you with all my heart I hope you never forget that!:)

So, that was charming, and I enjoyed Matthew's gift.

Then came Tuesday morning, and Joshua's gift. He picked up his backpack, took a package out of it, handed it to me and said, "Here," as he walked into the other room.
I chuckled to myself at the lack of enthusiasm my eleven-year-old was displaying, and made sure I thanked him for the pad of paper when he walked past me again to head off to school.
I had a meeting at school Tuesday morning, so rather than turning to go home at my "usual" spot, I went into the building with the boys. Joshua suggested I could enter through a different door which would be closer to my meeting room. And I realized he didn't want to walk into school "with" me, so I just stayed a few steps behind and called out, "Goodbye! Have a nice day!"
And I reminded myself Joshua is getting older and needs to start detaching from Mom.

But then I remembered Friday.
Joshua had a doctor's appointment - annual check-up. He was very uptight because he didn't want to get any shots. But he was due for a couple boosters and, for all my words of wisdom, I could not seem to get him to take his mind off the subject.
When it finally came time to receive his shots, I stood right next to my big eleven-year-old boy. He put his right arm around my waist and I held his left hand, as I quoted Joshua 1:9 for him, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (I added, "Even when you're at the doctor's office getting a shot.")
Let me tell you, that boy squeezed me hard! But he made it through.
And I smiled because I realized, for as big and tough as Joshua is, for all the times he doesn't want me to hug him in public, or even walk in the same door as him, for all those times - He still needs me sometimes.

And I am going to be there.