I Just Enjoy The Pictures

My oldest son, Austin, rock climbing. 
I sometimes cruise his Facebook page and snatch pictures of him. I simply enjoy seeing his world. Austin starts college this August; I'm more than proud. :)
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Graduation

My son, Austin, graduates from High School this evening. I can't believe it. What an accomplishment. 
I remember dressing him for preschool. I remember his Kindergarten teacher recommending medication for ADHD {she said he was a bit too social}, and I remember his 1st grade teacher informed us that he ranked within the 95 percentile on his state tests, yet it wasn't until his 3rd grade where he was tested as gifted. 
He enjoys school. He rarely misses a day. He doesn't typically follow the norm but rather enjoys an array of friends from different backgrounds. He played sports early on but after discovering broken bones in his feet from fallen arches, he quickly let them drift away.
He's always been a reader. :) Even though he never tested gifted in math, he's preferred pushing himself in this area, taking college classes in reading and math, and I remember how anxious he was heading for his SATs. He never wanted to go to Prom, yet went to both his Junior and Senior Prom for his girlfriends, he says. 
He stands up for what he believes in, stands up for others who won't or don't stand up for themselves, he isn't scared off by differences, and he's loyal to his friends. He enjoys throwing curse words around even though he knows it drives me crazy. He doesn't attend church anymore and won't speak of Granny after she passed, but I continue to pray that the good Lord leads him back to where he needs to be.
He is my boy. He is my first. We practically grew up together, and even though I do have regrets as a young mother, there are never regrets in regards to him. I am blessed and honored to have shared so many memories with Austin. I look forward to what life has in store, how he will handle all the different obstacles, and hopefully growing more as adults, and we continue to share our lives. 
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My Teenager Left Me A Note

My son, Austin, has a FB account and we are friends. There was this whole number thing going on where you message someone a number and they wrote you a note in their status, sort of like a "how I feel about you" type of thing.

I messaged my son: "5"

And this is what it says:

‎

5. I'm sorry for how I am to you. You really don't deserve it, but we just seem to clash a lot. I know that I should visit more often and that I should call every now and then. I know that it probably upsets you to no end. I know all of this, but I just don't seem to be able to break the cycle. That's what it's become, a cycle. Sad isn't it? I'm sorry. I love you.

I cried a little.