Mommy Memories

I'm not sure if it's because Mother's Day is approaching or what, but today I am having one of those days when I think about my kids and miss the days when they were little. I talked to Aaron on the phone a few nights ago. He was so excited because he had driven the van through the night in Arizona and he saw a real live mountain lion in the wild. He said he first saw some elk and just a few minutes later he went around a curve and right in the middle of the road was a cougar. Then it ran off and up into the mountains. Aaron said he yelled and woke up all the other guys, but it all happened so fast they didn't get to see the cougar. But he was so happy the rest of the night just because he saw that animal!

As my son told me this story with all his enthusiasm, I was transported back in time. I was no longer listening to a 25 year old man with tattoos and earrings who plays the drums in a heavy metal band, but I was listening to (and seeing in my mind) a precious little boy who used to sit in the recliner with his Daddy while looking at the National Geographic Mammals book. That precious little boy spent many hours looking at those animal pictures and soaking up every bit of knowledge he could possibly get. He always loved learning and experiencing new things. Which is probably why he enjoys what he's doing right now. He is constantly seeing new places, meeting new people and experiencing life the way most of us never get to. But when I look at Aaron now, I still see my cute little boy with the active imagination, the love for learning and the charismatic personality that he's always had. I thank God for the memories I have -- my children may be far away from home and far from being little children anymore, but I will always have my memories.