Tales from the Truckin’ Trail

The large inflatable stork on the front lawn was hard to miss.  It demanded the attention of passersby on highway 45 near Aberdeen, MS.  The sign in its hand that read “It’s a boy!” started me on a mental journey that covered nearly 25 years of family history.  That same phrase announcing the arrival of a son was scrawled in white paint on the front of our colonial blue home in Connecticut on August 17, 1983.  I painted it there myself the day after our first son, Stephen, was born.

Sons…what gifts!  Lynn and I have been overly blessed with two of the best boys God can create.  I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately as the day nears for our second son to graduate from college.  (Mitch graduates from Abilene Christian University on May 12.)   With each stage of growth, we thought that would be the best and lamented the fact that our sons were growing up too fast.  But each new stage brought new and different joys, and we realized that every stage was fantastic…even the teen years.  We loved every minute of pre-school, church camp, Scouts, golf ball business, Little League, donut shoppe visits, braces, parades, dates, birthdays, guitar and piano lessons, soccer, cross country, basketball, mission trips, marathons, band shows, proms, graduations, and so much more.

Each son is very different from his brother.   Though there are similarities—both great writers, both good looking (thanks to Mom), both friendly, both pick great friends, both love God, etc.—they are, in other ways, very different.  For examples, one excels at music while the other excels at running.  One wears his emotions on his sleeve while the other is more contemplative.  One married right out of college, the other dates occasionally.  No matter; we love them both the same:  a whole lot.

At a time when so many families are divided, when many parents can’t wait to have their children leave home, when so many adult children tolerate more than enjoy being with their folks, I can honestly say our family bucks the trends.  We really enjoy the times when we are together, and we look for every opportunity to gather.

And now, with the addition of a daughter-in-law the joys keep on coming.  Chrissy is brilliant (she receives her MBA from Suffolk University in Boston on May 20), beautiful, talented and committed to our son, Stephen.  And with her, we also got her great family—all 5 of them (Mom, Dad and the coolest triplet siblings you’ll ever find).  One of the highlights of this union was a cruise all 10 of us took together a few Christmases ago.

I just don’t know why we are so rich in children.  I only hope we are half as blessed with the advent of grandchildren (hint, hint).

Want to brag about your family?  This is the place; feel free.

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Last week, I saw this burly, bearded truck driver with muscles bigger than our minivan driving down the highway in a semi with a tiny white pooch in his arms.  Ahhhh.