Surface

He seems to be a carefree boy. A child who happily goes from one thing to the next, without giving things much thought at all. It seems as though he can be happy in just about any situation.

Gavin is also getting to an age where he can better disguise his feelings. I'm beginning to realize that there is so much more going on under that carefree surface than he might let on.

He's maturing, getting older... but as his mom, I find myself trying to see past this carefully composed surface to detect what truly lies below... to move the veil just a bit so I can understand what is really in his heart and on his mind. This older version of Gavin lacks some of the transparency that used to exist when he was smaller, when everything was right there on the surface... easy to detect.

I have no cause for alarm. This process seems natural... he's becoming more self-sufficient and has a good head on his shoulders. A part of growing up means learning to use those two things independently. Not an easy thing. But I'm finding out that for as difficult as that process might be for Gavin, it's equally challenging as a parent.

I'm no different than any other mom... I simply want what's best for all of my little people. Up until now, that's been a pretty easy thing to determine... but when it comes to third grade boys... well, they're more of an enigma.

Let me rephrase... it is still easy to determine what is best, even when it comes to third grade boys. The difficult part is waiting for Gavin to come to me when HE'S ready to do so. The easy part doesn't change... it's as simple as loving them. Everything else falls into place when love guides the heart.