Hope in a Boy's World

Archive for October 2013

On the heels of the teen years

Monday, October 28, 2013

As I was about to head to bed, I realized that I didn't write a post about Ben's 12th birthday. Probably because this birthDAY was preceded by a birthday WEEKEND. I think this year will rank right up there as probably the best and most memorable one so far. Even though the actual day was a bit uneventful and his dinner guests consisted of just his mom and dad, the two days prior were nothing short of spectacular. And filled with the kinds of things that are uber important to a 12-year-old boy like Ben.

The previous Saturday's football game was a heartbreaker. Their team had practiced field goals the previous week and agreed to let Ben give it a shot to kick any extra point opportunities. Both times they scored a touchdown, Ben ran out to have his shining moment only to have his teammates fumble the snap. He stood on the sidelines dejected and as soon as we saw him post-game, he burst into tears. He was still upset two hours later. Two days ago was their last game and even though they practiced once again during the week, there were no guarantees he'd have a chance to try again. Two minutes into the game, they scored and out ran all 73 pounds of Ben. Darn if he didn't nail it through the posts. On the last play of the game, he played running back, ran it in for a touchdown and promptly returned to attempt the kick once again. "It's up. And it's good!" I don't think he stopped smiling for the rest of the day and into the evening.

Even though this was a huge birthday present, the next day he got an even bigger one. Knowing we were looking for tickets to the Seattle Sounders soccer game, as it's tradition for Trey and Ben to go to a game together for his birthday, a good friend gave us 4 tickets to Sunday's game versus L.A. Galaxy. These tickets also included a parking pass, dinner and ice cream at halftime. That alone was present enough but then a soccer game with (cushioned) seats on the 50 yard line and two players' autographs on top of that?

Happy 12th birthday, Benjamin Davis! You are a kind, considerate, loving and patient young man who gives so much to others and asks for so little for yourself. You deserved the amazing birthday spoiling you had this year and are so worth celebrating!

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Homecoming 2013

Monday, October 21, 2013

Remember back in the "olden days" when a boy asked a girl to the high school Homecoming dance? If they weren't dating, the young man simply asked the young lady, "would you like to go to Homecoming with me?" The answer was a simple "yes" or "no." End of story. Not today. No one would ever do something so SIMPLE. Everything has to be not only complicated but a competition as well. I personally think it's a response to the Disney movie "Prom" that came out a few years ago. Although it was a well-intentioned script, the many different scenarios that played out within the story lines lent itself to a new fad. Not only does the girl get warned by her girlfriends that she's going to get asked, but then she also expects an original proposal. It's so over the top. But then I'm sure our parents categorized our behavior the same way back in the 80's. All this to say, that my poor little freshman was feeling some of the pressure when all he wanted to do was go to the dance and have fun with a group of friends--and a date.

I came home from work one night and Ian told me he wanted to ask a certain girl to Homecoming but it felt awkward because this certain girl happened to be the younger sister of his older brother's girlfriend. Are you following? I told him he should do it if he wants to and not let that fact deter him. Being that Ian's a simple guy, I thought he would just ask her and be on his merry way. Silly me. He got an idea from an older guy and decided to run with it. This particular creative idea also meant that we had to drive all over town to find a goldfish bowl and a small, plastic fishing rod, He was so cute and excited, and he rarely asks for anything, so I had to indulge him. The next day, with the help of his prospective date's friend, he filled the fish bowl with Goldfish crackers and put it on her desk in her first period class. Alongside the bowl was the fishing pole with a note that said, "Of all the fishes in the deep blue sea, will you go to Homecoming with me?" I have to admit it was pretty darn slick. She loved it. He texted me after class with a simple message, "she said yes."

I made the suggestion that the two couples double date. Bad idea. The older couple would have none of it. Going with Freshmen could potentially damage their social status or so it seemed. The best I could do was insist on a picture of all 4 of them at the girls' house before they went their separate ways.