That handsome devil to the left is my oldest son Mike.  Until very recently he was my oldest son Michael, but he’s requested that we start calling him Mike so I’m giving it my best shot.  (News flash to Mike: your Mother will never stop calling you Michael so get used to it). 

Last Saturday Mike turned 14 and I’ve been struggling with that reality for almost an entire week.  It seems like just yesterday he was a precocious four year old giving his sister a hair cut that left her with a kind of bangs-mohawk.  You’d have to see it to understand.

Now he’s in 8th grade and is a good student, a great friend, a kind person, a gentle soul, and an absolute class clown.  He also manages to be a relatively benevolent older brother to his sister Erin and brother Justin. I couldn’t be prouder of the young man he’s become, and I’m looking forward to seeing him blossom in high school.

Still I can’t believe he’s not the little guy in the sleeper you see on the left.  Part of me misses little Michael, but the rest of me loves meeting the new big Mike that seems to blossom more every day.

Happy 14th son.