A Force to be Reckoned With

You know when you are in a situation, mundane or not, and it causes you to reflect on a portion of life that has passed you by?  That happened to me this past Sunday.  I was serving in our church's nursery when an adorable, chubby little boy was dropped off.  I am not sure how old he was as his parents skipped that part of the sign-in page.  He seemed to be a big boy and appeared a bit older than those crawling and toddling around him.   As we spent time with him, though, we could tell he was in the right place. This boy stood out for sure and in more ways than one.  He was all over the place.  I don't think there was a toy in that room that he didn't touch five times throughout his stay with us.  His constant motion made the other children look as if they were standing still.  That is when it hit me, he reminded me of my first born, Eric.

Eric was much the same way.  Busy could have been his middle name. His curiosity kept me on my toes, sharpening those proactive mom skills.  I felt like I was continuously saying, "Eric, don't do this", "Eric don't do that", "Eric stop it"," Eric no", "Eric get off of the...".  You get the idea.  As a mom it was my job to make sure my little man lived to become an adult, so, as frustrating as it was, I took on the repetitive task of guidance.  It wasn't until others jumped on the "No Eric!" bandwagon that I really felt the pain though.  I just wanted those around me to see the good things about my son.  I really didn't need help outside of my husband to remind Eric of the correct things to do.  Sure, while they were babysitting, that was OK, but in my presence? People were missing out big time on someone special.

Eric is a thinker, always wondering why things are the way they are, how things work and, who is involved in what.  He was and still is continuously curious.  As an infant, 45 minute naps were the norm.  He did not want to miss out on anything.  As a toddler, who, what, why, where, when, and how questions flowed from his lips.  When combined with constant motion, that can make a mom tired.  By the age of five, we had a lawyer in the house.  Our boy could make his case rather convincingly. I would find myself beginning to cave to his logic when I would shake myself out of it and stand my ground.  I remember going out to dinner for his fifth birthday when we told our waitress it was his special day.  His little sister, stretching out five fingers, then quipped, "He is a WHOLE handful!"  At that, the hubster and I nodded in full agreement with our three year old daughter.

By the time he hit school, things shifted from home to the classroom.  We were constantly in communication with teachers thinking of creative ways to keep him on the right path.  Fortunately, the staff partnered with us to assist him in his success.  Throughout his elementary career we had to come up with creative solutions. Solutions from "Ask a teacher for a hug if you need to touch someone." to moving him into the 5th grade class as a 4th grader to be a "small fish in a big pond", were implemented.  Eric definitely helped me get my innovative parenting juices flowing.

This boy had a well defined sense of right and wrong.  In the first grade he learned about the depletion of the rain forest and was heart broken.  Animals were extremely important to him.  Upset to the point of tears, he needed a way to make a difference, so, he wrote a letter to President George W. Bush.  I mailed it to the White House (along with a translation) and a few weeks later he received an autographed photo of the first couple as well as a "Why school is important" letter.  I have to say, he was a little disappointed in the lack of topical response.  He did understand, after some explanation, that our president was a very busy man who understands the effects of deforestation.

Confidence is one if his strong points. There is not much that causes to him pause.  Eric would even tote his Bible to school making the newer teachers cringe at the thought of some lawsuit.  (we always informed them that if it is student led, it is OK)  Because of his tenacity, he shared the gospel with a friend at lunch recess and led him to the Lord.  He is rarely afraid to do what he knows is right.  Many "underdogs" have been defended as well as rights, opinions and morals. He stands his ground (sometimes to a fault) until the opposition proves it's case.  He may sound headstrong or arrogant to you but, it is his charisma that really gets to you.  From his first smile we could see an impishness about him.  The cheekiness combined with his Machiavellian nature are a force to be reckoned with. 

As we began to reach middle school years, my fears heightened.  This is when things are REALLY supposed to become difficult.  I fretted time away wondering if my son would have a positive impact, not only upon his class but on the world around him.  I wasn't afraid of what affect his friends would have on him but for what affect he would have on his friends.  Fortunately, God gave me a few cues that things would be OK. One was on a piece of paper I found folded up in our hallway.

What Happened to Life?

Foolish teens everywhere,

what do they give the most care?

the hottest styles, fads and fashions

so they can get desirable reactions.

All they want is to grow up.

so they can date and then breakup.

What happened to life?  You young, silly fools,

go do teenage stuff, like break all the rules!

If you’re tryin ‘ to be an adult, and your

brain ain’t ready, then somethin’s

wrong, ‘cause your brain ain’t steady.

What happened to life?  You just hug

and make out, and the next day

can be heard in a shout, you now hate

each other for some small imperfection.

Which is why you… we, all need plenty

of strong redirection.

So tell me now, riddle me this, my oh my,

What Has Happened To Life?

by Eric Schulze, 13

I am typing and reflecting on the life God has given us through our firstborn, now 17 years of age. Beginning his senior year of high school, this young man has lead our family through his fair share of "firsts".  He is a natural leader with a strong sense of self.  His heart loves deeply.  He looks for the fun in situations.  Making difficult decisions, though daunting at times, is not problematic.  Although the thought of growing up may intimidate him, I know he will be fine.  Eric will not allow life to hold him down. He has the capability of getting things done.

All of the really good photos are by Brooke Photography (accept this one, I took it)

Which brings me back to the nursery.  When parents come to pick up their little ones, I try to have something to say to them as I did with this mother.  I could probably tell you what Mom had heard, many times.  Instead of repeating those all-to-familiar words from my past, I acknowledged the job she has in her son and then proceeded to tell her,  "He has a goal and finds a way to achieve it."  "I could tell what a creative thinker and problem solver he is when he put the baby wipe container on the floor in order to stand on it to investigate what was on the counter."  "He is a mover and a shaker, the kind of person that gets things done in this world."  "I have a son just like him!"

Photo by the amazing Brooke Photography