Yesterday, I had a long phone call with my "little brother," in the middle of his first semester in college, and am proud of him, as well as so relieved. You see, three years ago this kid was deeply depressed (dealing with his moms' messy divorce), having problems focusing at school, watching his birth mom explore her gender issues, and spending many nights at home alone. I was so worried about him and did everything I could to ground him and give him the space to express and sort through his difficult feelings. I worried that wasn't enough, and his journey back proved to be a long and challenging climb for both him and me. But we never ever gave up...not for one moment.
All that is paying off now: Jason is getting nearly all A's, working hard at a part-time job three shifts a week, and is enjoying the school and his classmates. Most of all, this kid is engaged, challenged and learning about himself and life. He is dating a couple of people and having fun. I am amazed how easily he is gliding through life, especially given the rockiness of high school years. He is becoming quite a creative and heart-felt young man.
I can even to begin to express here how much love I have for this kid. It gives me goosebumps to type these words. When I got done talking with him yesterday, I want to collapse and cry into ball of joy and relief. I want the very best for him, and feel so blessed to be part of his life. This is what I am grateful for this Thanksgiving!
(The picture above is from late August this year, the day Jason arrived back from working in Spain all summer and four days before he left for college. Of course, he hated the sign and loved the attention all the same.)
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