Yay Dave!!

My boy, Dave has been made Supervisor at his work!  I am glad all his hard work has been recognized by his boss.  Although, the mother in me gets anxious, wanting everything to go well, hoping he’ll be able to turn his department around, confident that he’ll work super hard and if anyone can make it happen, Dave’s the man.

But of course, I’m his mom.  So, I see not only the strong, hardworking man that he’s become, but I also see, when I look into his face, the little boy whose hand I held crossing the street.  The elfin faced three year old boy with the over-sized eyes, sitting on a booster seat in the barber’s shop, pointing at the tough gruff logger in the chair beside him with the bristly buzz cut and saying, “I want dat!“  When the barber asked, “What’s it going to be today.“ 

“Um…no,“ I’d hastily interjected.  “He just wants a trim.“  Because David had the most adorable downy-soft hair, with soft little waves, wispy sweet-smelling hair that carried the scent of the baby shampoo I used because he was scared of soap in his eyes.

“Sorry ma’am, no can do,“ the barber said, snagging a metal buzzing hair cutting apparatus and flicking it on with a thick thumb.  “The customer in the chair calls the shots.“ 

And with that, he gave my delighted son a buzz cut, much to the amusement of the other male patrons in the shop. 

Arrogant bully!  I thought, face flushed.  Never again!  Jerk!  I muttered under my breath, as I watched, my son’s baby-soft hair be severed off and fall, like broken promises scattered on the white silver flecked linoleum floor. 

David, hugging himself with happiness, in his little OshKosh overalls.

But now, nineteen years later, I owe that barber an apology, because David loved that haircut.  And looking back, it was the first time he stepped into his own, made a decision different from the one that I would have made for him.  And it suited who he was, who he wanted to be. 

And so it is now.  My boy.  It’s an ongoing process of stepping into himself, growing and stretching, and I might be scared, but I am so proud too. 

He has accomplished so much, my Dave.  Grown so much.  Become such a good man.  I am so proud to be his mom.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Wednesday, December 03, 2008 in