I left my son home alone for the 4th of July weekend. He had been asked to work by my old boss selling balloons at a 4th of July festival and he really really wanted to do it. I was apprehensive but I made sure the neighbors knew he was home alone. I told him there were to be no parties and that I had told the neighbors I was going to be gone and that they should keep an eye out. I also asked his father to check in on him every day.

I didn’t think my son would throw a party, I knew he was going to be working too late to do so but I figured he would make a mess in the kitchen and not clean it up. I was surprised to come home to a pretty clean kitchen. He actually loaded the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and ran it and then emptied it! I was rather pleased with him and frankly happily surprised that he thought to clean the kitchen all on his own.

I know my son is growing up and nearly ready to handle life on his own but I will always think of him as my little boy…all 6 foot 3 and 245 lbs of him.