Rebuilding Rob

My oldest son, whom I refer to on this blog as Kid 1 has been everything that a parent hopes to accomplish: he’s in a better spot 16 than I was. I have no doubt he is going to make more of himself than I have ever dreamt of making of me.

He’s 16. He’s been competing on gymnastics on a regional, and sometimes a national level, for the last few years. When he’s on the mats performing, he moves through the air like somebody from The Matrix.

It’s tough sometimes. Being divorced from his mother, X1, and living several states away. He’s around her much more than he’s around me. She’s done a great job raising him; but I still take credit of laying the groundwork for him during his formative years, before our divorce. Likewise, I’m grateful that we live in a time of video calls and social media.

He has a girlfriend, which tells me he’s MUCH more social at 16 than I was. I how he stays ahead of the curve and doesn’t turn i to a late bloomer like his old man.

Kid 1 is also responsible. He’s got a car that he’s mostly paying for himself. He’s getting straight A’s in Honors level classes at school; again, better than I ever did. He’s more intelligent than I could ever hope to be. Kid 1 has recently began touring college campuses. He and X1 have visited several schools in the Southeast. He and I will be visiting schools in my region this winter and spring as well…and he’s aiming high, academically speaking.

Despite all this praise, I will admit that Kid 1 isn’t perfect. Somewhere along the way, he developed an interest in spiders. I’m fact, he owns several tarantulas. Plural. Neither I nor X 1 have any idea where that came from. Teenagers sure are weird sometimes…

He’s going to be okay. I sleep so much easier knowing that. I could not be more proud of him!

If this all comes across as the literary equivalent of men thumping my chest, it should. I am damn proud of BOTH my sons. In fact, a follow-up about Kid 2 is already in the works.

Tell me about ONE of your family members.

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