Flowers for Mom

Shortly after Dawson started kindergarten, he shyly asked me if he could pick some roses out of our backyard to take to his teacher the next day. Since it was already dark outside, I told him that I would wake him up a few minutes early the next morning so that he would have time to pick some out for her. The next morning I helped him pick out a few really pretty ones that passed his 'smell good' test. When we started walking back to the house, I got a really big lump in my throat because it suddenly occurred to me that was the first time he was taking flowers to someone other than me. This was such a minor thing, but it was still something I was already having to share. It was as though Dawson could read my thoughts, because right at that moment he slipped his little hand in mine. He looked up at me & said "Don't worry Mom, I can still pick flowers for you too when I get home from school." I smiled at him, leaned down and kissed all over his face. We call them 'eternal kisses' that way he can't ever wipe them off. A funny thing occurred though when he said that to me. 10 seconds earlier I was feeling sorry for myself for having to share him, but as I walked him to the bus stop I couldn't stop smiling. I just kept thinking about how blessed I was to be the one who gets to share this wonderful little boy with others.

One of my favorite photos, a much younger Dawson bringing me flowers.