Great Expectations

Tomorrow my oldest son David turns sixteen. 

For this momentous occasion he will be having a “sweet sixteen” party. (Ok, I'll admit, he isn’t calling it that but his mother most certainly is!) After doing a little research on what is expect of a modern sweet sixteen party I found that my pocketbook as well as my heart were going into cardiac arrest. It seems that to be considered a responsible parent these days a sweet sixteen party must include the following.

       

•  The rental of the hottest nightclub in the area

• A live performance by Cee Lo Green

• Limo service for Dave and all his friends to and from the club

• A finger food buffet of truffles and gold plated Big Macs

• A fireworks display that will make the 4^th of July Spectacular in Washington D.C. pale in comparison

• A performance by the troupe from Cirque du Soleil 

• Live tigers to ride around the party

• A bounce house made out of money 

All of these requirements were going to be a little hard to come by since neither Buns nor I are secret millionaires, not to mention as far as I know Cee Lo's schedule is booked.

When I informed Dave that we were not going to be able to pull off the above list he just looked at me with a gaze I know well, the “mom, you are a lunatic” expression.  “Why would I want any of that anyway?” was his reaction.

Instead he opted for a BBQ with his friends and video games. What a great kid. It’s something I’ve always known.

Sixteen years ago, after 14 hours of the most painful experience of my life, the doctor gave me a 10 pound 4 oz. tank of a baby boy to hold for the first time. That moment was one of the most influential spiritual experiences I have ever had. His personality and the power of his spirit impacted me in an incredible way. I knew that he was special. Heavenly Father had saved him to come down just at that time because he was going to be courageous and make a huge impact on the world he lived in. I knew it just as I knew that we had an enormous responsibility as his parents to make sure that we taught him correct principles. If we would love him, and do our job something great was going to happen.

I had this experience three other times as Andrew, Bella, and Sam made their way into the world. 

I have already seen the strength that is in the youth of this generation. David and his siblings are the only members of the church in their school and they field questions, comments, and sometimes bigotry in an awesome way. They are good examples to their friends and have already had an influence on the people around them. Kids know not to swear and talk about inappropriate behavior in front of them. They make this happen in a non-judgmental way and explain matter-of-factly why it isn’t a good idea. They’ve helped others to know they are valued children of their Heavenly Father. 

They aren’t perfect but on the whole they are so much stronger and better than I was at their age. They have understanding of truth that absolutely blows my mind some days. I’m proud of them and blessed to be their mother. 

As of tomorrow David will be embarking on the ability to drive, and date. Buns and I are sending him to the edge of the nest and watching him take off on his first solo flights. I know he’ll do great. He will mess up and have to make corrections from time to time but I have great expectations for he and his siblings because I know who they are and where they really come from. 

So happy birthday David, you’re an incredible kid with far more potential than you can possibly know.  We love you and always will.

Cheers,

Mom

“I wish we could promise you that the world will be safer and easier for you than for us, but we cannot make that promise, for just the opposite is true . . . Your challenge is much greater than was ours. Few of us would trade places with you . . . 

But, oh, what a wonderful time to be young! You have knowledge of many more things than we needed to have. It is my conviction that your generation is better and stronger than was ours—better in many ways! I have faith that you young men and young women can meet the world on its own terms and conquer it!

You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!” (President Boyd K. Packer).