Flyboys Dreams

At what point do you tie the knot and stop the yarn from unraveling? More to my question, when do you tell your child that they must make life choices? After my son's recent descent off a roof top into 3 inches of snow, followed by three days of hospitalization and six weeks of recovery, I had hoped to hold onto my little boy just a little longer. But life choices like the yarn were beginning to unravel.

Cam was born a daredevil. It started with "super fly" jumps onto the couch. Diving into 10 feet of water knowing I would catch him. No fear in this kid ever. He rarely got hurt and to him as with most boys of 14, they are invincible. Invincible as I point out to him, is a kind synonym for idiocy. I have seen this kid achieve every dream he has dreamed (well, not with Pam Anderson, but that is a different dream altogether) I have seen him reach for the stars, then farther. He brought home a gold in Lake Placid for hockey at 11 years old. He has more trophies then he has room for and gives his 2nd place ones away. His 9 baseball trophies for catching meant nothing because they came as easily as tying his cleats, but the one that he has proudly displayed is the first out of the park home run he hit after striking out for most of the season. The other awards were for catching, which he only did to keep up his hockey glove on the off season. He learned every sport the first time, he got the second highest male score on MCAS the first time, he won student council the first time. Nothing has come hard to him ever.

So after flyboy's failed attempt, he was faced with some decisions. His team was left with no goalie for the playoffs, and his coach and team mates were glad he was okay but bitterly disappointed in him. His school refused to roster him on the baseball team and as captain of the football team, he was "spoken to" by coaches over where he was going. As I am screaming in the background "Wake up society...he is only 14 years old. He is in junior high." Society is screaming back. If he wants to play hockey...no skateboarding, no football. If he wants to play football, no hockey, no extreme sports of any kind (he's a great kicker), baseball hasn't imposed any restraints as of yet. But, his babe ruth coached pointed out that he did have a back up catcher just in case flyboy was injured. So my boy, with all his chicks that call him, his walls covered in sports and trophies, dreams of BU or Mt. St. Charles cried himself to sleep the other night. Not just any cry. The death cry.

He broke his skateboard in half. He swore off football and gave his jersey to his brother. He lifted weights today and went jogging. I gave him the ole "follow your dreams" speech. My mother gave him the ole "follow your heart" and my husband gave him the ole "well, that is what you get for thinking you can land off of a roof in 3 inches of snow."

When we begin to set limits on our children they are for safety. Hot, don't touch. Look both ways. Don't play with it. It's dirty. Then we set them free. Follow your heart, set your goals, dream big aim higher. Then once the engine is racing and they feel the wind, the checkered flag goes up. One more lap and then you need to choose. I just hope that whatever he does he does it with no regret. If he goes to the school that needs him for hockey so be it. If he goes to the public school that he wants to go to, then god speed my child. No matter what, I know that I will be there for him to catch him again if he jumps, hold his hand all night if he fails, and sit down next to him telling him dirty jokes when he is faced with a hard decision. But, I will never tell him what to do, that is for him to decide and to live with the consequences. Good luck my boy, it don't get any easier. Now on to Pam...