Isnt he lovely?

Ive always loved that Stevie Wonder song "Isnt she lovely?" Its a classic! But since becoming a parent Ive often wished it was sung about a "he" instead of a "she." Ive experienced so many lovely moments with my boys. Not days or even many hours. Nope. Im talking about moments: fleeting, but very satisfying and blessed seconds. When I look at this picture taken of Seamus this weekend I think of Stevie's song, but in my mind he's singing "he." Isnt he lovely?

We had lot of good times with Seamus this weekend, but one tender moment stands out in my mind. We were up around the jetty looking for things in the rocks. This is one of Seamus' favorite things to do at Del Mar Beach. He loves looking for crabs and other sea life in the jetty. The tide was really low this weekend and we were able to go really far into rocks that are usually submerged. While out there Seamus found a pretty large sized crab. See photo:




He named him "Crabby" and kept him in a cooking pot outside the cottage for the night. On Sunday morning when we woke, Seamus knew he had to let him go. All four of us went back to the jetty and Seamus gingerly placed the crab down among the rocks. Seconds after he put him down, the tide came up and carried "Crabby" out while somersaulting at a pretty fast rate. It was a strange sight for me, but it was horrifying for Seamus. He went running towards the water yelling "Crabby! No! Crabby!" and grabbed him back from the ocean's reach. Matt and I looked at each other with concern. Seamus was crying. He did not want to let his "Crabby" go. After several minutes and some coaxing from us, Seamus finally released "Crabby." He was pretty upset about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

I couldnt help but see a parallel between Seamus/Crabby and me and my kids. Like Seamus, I find it very difficult to stand back and watch my boys grow up. Seamus is so close to turning that corner into boy adolescence. I can feel it coming. And Finn wont give me a kiss when I drop him off at his classroom anymore! Thats so sad for me. I know I need to allow them some independence, I just wish it wasnt so harsh. When I think of Seamus removing himself from us - specifically me - it breaks my heart. But I know how adolescent boys are. I know thats part of growing up. I think my goal is going to allow them some space without the guilt. I wont let them know it hurts me. Hopefully by putting on a brave face, they'll gain the confidence they'll need to make other important decisions while growing up into teen and young adulthood. It all sounds so practical and easy now. HA! I know better. :)