The Language of (Many) Hugs 😍

Morning.

Arms outstretched—his silent invitation for a hug.

Afternoon.
Back from school, same gesture. This time, arms flung wider, like he’s trying to hug the entire universe, and paired with a sheepish grin that says, Well? What are you waiting for?

Late afternoon.
I'm still deep in keyboard wizardry, spinning deadlines out of caffeine and desperation. He saunters in -- No words. Arms spread out like a human starfish, shuffling left, right, and sideways like a determined penguin on a mission, silently demanding a pause in my productivity. 

All occasions, I welcome with open heart and open arms. Rain or shine, chaos or calm, my arms are a 24/7 hug station. No occasion too big, no moment too small -- come what may, life.

Night.
My turn now. Come here, hug hug buddy. Hug before you disappear into your fortress of solitude.

~ ~ ~

That’s my boy. Words aren’t really his thing -- at least not the spoken or dramatic facial expressions. 

But give him a pen, and suddenly, he’s a storyteller in the making😍

In short? He’s just effortlessly cool. 

He’s trying. I see it. I feel it. And that’s what matters. 

One day, he’ll spread his wings and take flight. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow—but in God’s perfect timing. And when he soars, I’ll be right here, cheering him on. 

I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world—the privilege of watching him grow, bit by bit, day by day -- especially now, because teenage affection is as rare as a unicorn sighting. So when it happens, you know I’m savoring it! For this, my heart is filled with thankfulness -- I must have done something right. Praise God!

And I trust in the Lord. He has a plan for him. I'm watching him grow into a man after God’s own heart—grounded in faith, integrity unshaken -- and hopefully still remembering to text his mummy back 😆.

As for me, the earthly steward of this growing young lad, I’ll hold tight to this promise:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6, KJV)

I just know. ❤️