My Sweet Son

“After we go to the chiropractor, I’ll drop you off back at home and then I’ll go to ACME. Unless you want to come with me??” I say to my 13-year-old son.

“MMM, no thanks,” he says wryly and with that sly smile. I figured. So, we head into the doctor’s office, get our ever-so-helpful adjustments and get into the car. As I wait to turn right instead of left toward ACME, my sweet son says, “I’ll go to ACME with you… yeah, I’ll just go.”

(cue the mom smile)

I quickly switch my blinker and happily turn toward the store, with my cutie patootie son in shotgun.

He really is a sweetheart. He has always been so caring and loving and still is even at 13. He hardly leaves a room without giving my husband and I a hug. He always says ‘I love you’ when leaving the house or being dropped off somewhere-even when his friends can hear him!! I am extremely grateful for his carefree expression of love. It’s just who he is. I hope it never goes away.

As we move through the store, he helps me grab a few items, and of course, ends up with a few that weren’t on my list. I don’t mind though. He’s my sweetie and he chose to come with me. I’ll spoil him a bit.

He doesn’t even have to be asked to help scan and bag our stuff. We even get to have a little lesson on how to use the self-checkout-life skills, check!

I walk out of the store behind our cart as he pushes it along. I’m happy to have some help this time, and I feel a little lighter. I take a moment to stop and treasure this moment, knowing someday soon it will seem like the distant past.

We get home and work together to bring in the bags and put everything away. Then he heads up to his room-but not after giving me one of his wonderful hugs.