Connections

A young man stood looking down the corridor of the exiting gate where the latest plane just disembarked it‘s passengers. Not sitting, standing, anxiously, eagerly waiting. From the looks of him I thought he must be picking up his girlfriend coming to share the holidays. It was not.

He found the older woman who immediately reached out to touch the hair on his face. He too touched his beard and with a sheepish grin looked down to hide the mixture of his prideful embarrassment. Although I could not hear their conversation, I knew the communication transpiring between them.

Mom’s recognize how quickly their son’s grow up.

That’s when it hit me. It was my turn next so I took my queue, like the young man before me, I stood in that same prime spot, looking down the corridor for a swagger I might recognize in the distant crowd. It’s been a couple years since we last saw each other. I wondered if I would recognize him.

Then like the parting of the Red Sea, everyone surrounding him  disappeared, and there he was.

He’s beautiful, as handsome as a young man in the prime of his youth can be. A mother’s pride and gratitude uncontrollably swelled within my heart and leaked from my eyes tears of joy to see him. I can never stop that.

And he’s funny. “I have a red bag, just like that red bag that man is walking away with. I hope that’s not my bag.” Yet he found his carry-all on the carousal and swiftly we left baggage claim.

Pheonix Sky Harbor has always been one of the easiest airports I’ve ever had to maneuver. I was able to leave quickly, find my way back to the freeway and embark on the two hour drive up the hill to Prescott.

We talked comfortably, after all this time, finding me impressed by a gentle young person promising wisdom in his yearning to learn of other cultures and studying different religions with wandering plans for his future and what he wants to do.

“I can’t sit around resting on my laurels,” He said.

“You are 21, my dear,” I replied. “You have no laurels.”

“But I have my good looks.”

“That you have…until you turn 30. Take advantage of it now while you are young.”

But I imagine he’ll grow more good looking with age. Men do, you know.

Back in a mother’s role, I cherish that I get to cook homemade dinners for him, play Scrabble, I hope, and talk and talk and talk until I get to know better who he has become now.

I love spending time with this person, this young man, my son.

Every day matters.