The Definition of “Headlong”: Observations from The Changing Table

By on January 27, 2012 in a little fun, a mother's heart, adventure, Boys in Motion, physicality of boys

Until recently, I’ve been all-girl. Though I married a boy, he’s still a wonderful mystery to me. I grew up with three sisters. For the past six years, I’ve been having tea parties with our 2 daughters. So, I consider myself a novice when it comes to boys. Last July, our son was born. Overnight, I became an avid MOB reader. As a new MOB writer, I offer my nostaglic observations from the beginning of “It’s a Boy!”

Here’s what I notice so far: the boy thinks he is only his eyes.

As soon as Malachi could prop himself up on his Leapfrog Garden, he demonstrated that if he saw something with his eyes, he’d go for it. It doesn’t matter that he has an entire body to account for. It doesn’t matter that he has an adorable head to bonk or a precious nose to smoosh! If he sees something interesting, he flings himself into it (and eats it). The girls never ever ever moved like that boy moved the first time he wanted to eat a plastic frog. If the girls saw something that they wanted, they paused, moved one foot and then another, reached one hand out to touch the object, and then – if the coast was clear – would proceed to explore the item. Not the boy. He saw; he lunged; he ate. I hadn’t thought about the word headlong since a sixth grade vocabulary quiz; now it comes to mind every day. 

I can see how this is a huge advantage in life – talk about courage! I can also see how this requires many trips to the emergency room.

So, Momma, do you see headlong in your home? Have mercy on this newbie and flood the comment section with lots of advantages to this (wince) amazing ability…

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Just Grab It By The Head

By on June 24, 2011 in a little fun, adventure
While making dinner this evening, I hear my hubby say to our son, “just make sure you grab it by the head“.
Ummm…just what are we grabbing by the head?
oh…that.

He loves to go outside and dig for bugs, creatures, buried treasure…

He just never expected to find this…

I have lost many containers to critters and creatures…
slugs, snails, salamanders, frogs, huge millipedes, a baby raccoon…
but this is a first.
He was thrilled at his unexpected find
and he thinks he’s going to keep him as a pet…
What crazy pet has your son come home with? More importantly, did you let him keep it?
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Slaying Dragons

By on June 15, 2011 in adventure, growing godly men, reflection, The Word

He holds my hand tightly with his left hand as we carefully walk down the dirt path overgrown with weeds and low-hanging branches. His right hand holds a stick he’s brandishing in front of him to “clear the way” for us, all the while checking that I don’t trip or fall. He leads me around water puddles, assuring me he is right there with me; that I won’t drown or be washed away.

I don’t question this nature of my son, knowing this is how God made him. My duty as his mother is to help mold, shape, and encourage that nature to be all that God has equipped it to be.

So I smile at his chivalry and try to not worry about snakes, or poison ivy, or bugs. I want him to remember this time as special and full of adventure, not of mommy rules and admonishments to be careful.

We get to the fort, nestled way back behind this creek and he tugs away, anticipation evident in his smile and bouncing step. He leaps over a rock, scrambles up a fallen log, then pauses and looks back.

“Mommy, are you ok?”

I assure him I’m fine, and he climbs into the fort and starts yelling something about slaying dragons and good vs. evil battles in the name of the Holy One, ending it all with a pretty serious monologue to a bunch of leaves about the importance of protecting my honor and my life from the fire of the dragon.

He’s a little boy at play, full of joy and innocence.

And I’m his encouraged mother, suddenly recognizing the scripture weaving in and out of his play…the scripture we had been talking about just days before in the midst of family transition that is scary and full of the unknown…

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” -Isaiah 43:2-3

He’s going to be a man, prayerfully full of a deeper joy and biblical knowledge that will equip him to continue his innate desire to protect.

This day it is make-believe, a fairy tale full of laughter…but it is also a training ground; one that will provide him the Truth, the strength and the wisdom to continue slaying dragons.

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How Much to Let Go?

By on June 14, 2011 in a mother's heart, adventure, Tough decisions

Copyright 2011 Hal & Melanie Young Forbidden to Use Without Permission

One day he’ll ask to go to the end of the Cove.

Where you can’t see him anymore.

It’ll take a while to get there and get back, so he’ll be gone for some time.

What will you do?

That day has come for five of our boys so far. It’s so hard to let go. So hard to release our protection for even a short time. Our children are our most precious jewels – you don’t leave those just sitting around do you?

We really, really don’t want our boys to grow up afraid, though. We want them to be as bold as a lion in the cause of Christ. We want them to be full of courage and strength. We want them to be able to stand alone for as long as necessary.

You get there bit by bit, though. A young man learns to stand by standing for a moment, all by himself. He learns by falling and making mistakes and picking himself up. He stands for longer and longer moments until his spiritual legs become strong and mighty.

Parents are meant to protect and to nurture, but we’re also meant to encourage them to stand up and start walking. That starts when they’re toddlers, but the real difficult part comes when they are learning to walk with Christ, learning to be independent, learning to be men. A toddler risks a bruise or split lip. A young man can risk everything if he fails.

We’ve learned to look at each of our boys where they are. To try to know them and to know their hearts. To have an idea if they are mature enough and spiritually strong enough to stand (or not to fail utterly!) when they ask those scary questions, “Dad, Mom, I’d like to try this…”

It only takes about 20 minutes to kayak to the end of the Cove if they hurry. It can seem like a lifetime the first time. Then you see that he really can handle it. You get used to it, calm, accepting.

Then he asks, “Mom, Dad, can I kayak out to that island in the main Lake over there?”

Copyright 2009 Hal & Melanie Young

Hal & Melanie Young

Authors of Raising Real Men

CSPA 2011 Book of the Year

BTW, we are so thankful for your prayers during our son’s surgery and our daughter’s broken arm and surgery last week. You guys are great! Please forgive us for being late today, we spent the entire day at doctor’s offices.

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