My Son Became a Dad

When kids are babies, we dream of the day that they will walk and talk. We look forward to all the milestones that they will reach as they travel through to their adult years. When they are in elementary school we look forward to high school; when they are in high school, we look forward to them going to college or starting a job. We beam with pride with each accomplishment and our hearts are a little bit saddened when they encounter bumps along their path. For me, perhaps the greatest wish I had for my son was that someday he would find a nice girl with whom he could make a life and have a family.

Several years ago he found that girl and they have been together every single day since. They have had their struggles and life has not always been easy, but they have worked through it all and have come out on top. They are now about to become parents. One afternoon as I was text messaging back and forth with my son, the topic came around to the coming baby. In that conversation he mentioned that even though I was his mother I would find the baby, his son, cuter and sweeter than he. This brought a tear to my eyes and I started to type a long message to him so that he could understand a parent’s love; that while from his perspective as a child, things might have looked one way, from his new role as a parent himself, he would see things a little bit differently.

When he read my message, he told me that my words were beautiful and that he was going to keep that message forever. When I laughed and asked him to let me fix them up a bit and make them suitable for keeping, he told me, “No. They are perfect the way they are, right here on my phone.” Instead I took my own words and created a wall hanging so that he could keep those words and read them whenever he wanted to. Here they are.

For You, My Son

As You Embark on Fatherhood

You told me once that you would never be as cute or a s sweet as your baby son and that I would spoil him. This is what I want you to know.

First, you are and always will be a handsome man; the most handsome in my eyes.

Your little boy is only going to be small for a very short time and yes, I will spoil him, but that's my job now. When you were little, my job was to help you grow into a responsible man. I think I did that.

As a grandmother my job will be to make memories for him; so he gets excited to see his grandma and looks forward to being with her.

You will be the parent. Your job will be to raise him to be a responsible man that will respect you and understand that you did your best; that maybe you were not perfect, but that everything you did for him was to help make him the man he became.

That's what I hope you understand about your growing up years. Despite everything, know that I loved you, and still love you beyond measure.

I am so proud of all you have become.

I am happy you picked a real, down to earth lady to be your partner and to raise a child with. Like you, she will be a fierce parent and will do her very best to help that little man become the grown-up he is meant to be.

You have forged your own path. You know what roads you don't want to go down, and I hope that is partly what you got from me; from what I taught you. You have become responsible, independent and hard working. You have a solid set of values and a strong will to be your own person.

Your son is in good hands. Remember, you are going to make mistakes along the way, but if he grows into as good a person as his dad, you will have succeeded as a parent, like I did.

I Love You

Mom XOXOXO

Update – My son became a first-time Dad on July 6, 2021. His son, William John Annesley Q. was born at 12:16 p.m. and weighed in at 7lbs 14 oz and 19 inches in length. Mom and baby are doing well. Dad is ecstatic. This first-time Grandma’s heart is full.

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