"That" child

I had dinner recently with a friend who was telling me about her 3 year old grandson.  He came to stay with her for three weeks and my friend was exhausted by the time he left.  Now I get it's normal for grandparents to be exhausted by their grandkids, no matter if they are strong willed or complaint.  Even at my stage of life, I get exhausted if I even think about going back to chasing around a toddler again.  I'm just not use to it so I get why grandparents love their grandkids but yet are exhausted by them at the same time, however, in this case as my friend was describing her grandson all I could think about was Jay.  Jay was "that" child for me.  Is he still, you ask?  No, not entirely.  Now some would argue that since he is no more then maybe he never was but I assure you, he was.  I was also "that" child to my mom but by high school I was no more.  I turned a corner, a big one.  Perhaps Jay turned his corner earlier than his mother did.  Jay was the baby that cried until he could walk.  Once he walked, he ran.  Once he ran, I could not catch him (kid you not).  Once he understood directions and I would draw a line, he would cross it every time.  Jay was the child that received more spankings than Nick and Jay was the one who developed a close relationship with soap (in the mouth).  Jay was the child who I would take to a birthday party and never be able to have a conversation with another parent because my eyes were constantly on Jay, wondering what mischief he'd get into and time and time again, I'd have to address some "situation" with him.  It took him longer to figure out that his dad and I meant business.  But as 7th grade draws to a close I am seeing a young man who takes his school seriously, works hard, has appropriate texts with his girlfriend, is developing a funny sense of humor and a boy who is starting to come into his own without driving his mother insane while doing it.  I am proud.  In all honesty Jay has been a dream in middle school.  Now watch, I probably just jinxed myself but really there is truth in that with hard work, things often work themselves out.  Not that Jay needed work, he didn't, he is exactly who God made him to be.  I just thought that as I watched him through all my exhaustion when he was small that every battle with Jay would be uphill & that has not been the case at all.  I delight in him and all his middle school ways and I can't wait to see what 8th grade has in store for my boy..