Figuring Things Out

We often get a kick out of Dylan’s ways to express his thoughts because he always has a … say … different way of articulating what’s in his mind. He processes things differently from most people and sometimes this difference may be misconstrued as slowness. We know that he understands things, but the road he follows to achieve such understanding is not always a straight one. For the most part, Dylan’s path to learning and figuring things out is often filled with detours, stops and turns. Generally, conclusions and learning come after much discussion, explanation, manipulation, repetition and exploration usually under the guidance of someone else. Here and there, however, he surprises us with out-of-the-blue, self-derived wit and insight…and such moments are always truly delightful.

Such was the case a few days ago. The four of us were driving back home, I think it was from church…I can’t remember. All I know is that it was the weekend and the weather was really nice. As it happens, there is a restaurant in our town which is rather popular with bikers. Fair weather weekends mean rows of glamorous bikes parked along our little main street and long lines of people on the sidewalk waiting to get in this establishment. Anyway, a few miles out, sitting at a stop light before taking the last turn to head into town, a motorcycle was standing at the light next to us. Dylan was on the back sit, and as a typical 9 ½ year-old-boy would, he stopped what he was doing and began admiring the shiny and loud bike. A young couple was riding on it. The young man was at the wheel and a beautiful young woman was behind him, hanging on to the rider, enjoying the sunshine, the breeze and the ride.

As we expected, they headed our way too. So once the light turned, with a loud roar, the biker moved on ahead of us, girl’s reddish hair waiving in the wind. At that moment, Dylan broke the silence to say: “I know why guys like motorcycles…” Dan and I mumbled a distant uhumm at the same time, as Dylan proceeded to say: “guys like it because on a motorcycle they can say to a girl, ‘hey, you want a ride?’ and then the girl gets on the bike and then she has to touch his belly.”

After a split second, Dan and I looked at each other and burst out laughing in delight. I mean, really? I didn’t know what to say. I just kept laughing aloud. Dan asked him, “so you think guys like that, huh?” Dylan replied with a firm, “yeah.” Then Dan said to me, “he is figuring things out, isn’t he?” Yes, he is, I thought…He is figuring things out on his own. Soon he won’t be a little boy any more. Before I know it, he’ll be all grown up, and I’ll be left behind wondering where the years went and how this stage in my journey through motherhood so quickly disappeared.

This Mother’s Day morning I meditate on being a Mother…a role that for years I doubted I would play…I think of all that it entitles. I too am figuring things out. I am figuring out that even though it is true that being a Mother comes with lots of pain, heartache, headache, backache, stomachache and many other aches…it also provides moments of incomparable, unmeasurable, pure joy to the soul.

I praise the Lord for Dylan and Grant, my two boys, certainly each one of a kind.



Happy Mother’s Day to all…