Grendel is 20 today- imagine. It seems like just yesterday he was little, now he is taller than me, probably smarter than me, forging ahead on his own path. I remember when he was tiny how he loved dinosaurs, numbers, his bear blankie and green dino.... covered his wall in numbers, snuck cereal in the middle of the night, has always been a night person not a day person, has always loved doggs, tv, computers..... learned to type before learning how to write. (and it shows! typing skills = excellent, handwriting = 'creative') ... when we moved to the island he loved the sea, swimming, endless friends over during the summer (house was always full of kids) playing flashlight tag all over the neighborhood, switching weeks back and forth between kyles house and ours. Pokemon everything, his own cabinet of 'Grendel's food' that I was forbidden from, midnight trips to the beach when he was older, friends all slipping out in the night to run wild, coming back with sandy boxers, suspicious paint marks and one pilfered plastic owl. Always good, jut bad enough around the edges to be reassuring. At the cottage it is different- not so much going out as staying in, friends over, up all night laughing and playing games and being... friends. Even when it wakes me up, I love hearing the sound of his laugh, knowing that he is happy and safe and having fun. He is a good kid, and I am lucky.
We are up at the games, thousands of people. The boys listen to music, walk around. He is all kilt and hair, it's like a banner glowing against the sky and trees, it blows around and the girls watch it. He has been talking about cutting it, and that day will come, but today is stamped in my heart- him young and free and glorious against the sky. Old enough to venture forth, young enough to look back for reassurance. I love you boy.
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