Love you forever revisited

This image represents a Mother's Day gone by. Mancub bought this plant pik for me a couple of years ago at the dollar store. I don't have a green thumb, but this weathered dragonfly continues to adorn our front porch. Regardless of the season, it's there to remind me how the simplest gestures can stand the test of time.

My refrigerator and the wall my desk faces is speckled with artistic interpretations expressing Mancub's love for me. Some of them are on lined paper while others have made it on to colored construction paper. What's most touching is that most were made for out of the blue reasons.

While Mother's Day is a lovely calendar reminder to appreciate she who gives us all life, I rejoice in a mother's day every day. Mancub still lets me tuck him in at night and give him a smooch. Sometimes he turns his head so I hit his cheek. Other times he'll offer his forehead for night time kiss placement.

In the course of a day he'll walk up to me and declare, "Hug!" Who am I to refuse such an offer? In a public place he'll reach out and touch my hair (provided I have it straightened). My hair has served as a security blanket from the beginning of his life. Sometimes he'll hug me in plain sight of others.

I suspect that these are perks of being a single parent to an only child. Neither of us has to spread the love and affection to other members of the household. His friend base is limited to kids at school who don't live nearby. That is with the exception of Cody who made his presence known on the day we bought Mancub's bike.

Gone are the days where he has to hold my hand for safety sake. Farewell was bid to him relying on me to cut his meat, wash his hair or even wake him in the mornings. But open affection hasn't been pushed to the wayside. I count my blessings every single day. Whenever I discuss my good fortune with friends or colleagues, I am reminded that he's a teen-ager and his affection will cease. "Enjoy it while it lasts" is the most frequent expression I hear. I shake it off and ignore the warnings rather than heed them.

On the days that I drop him off at school he'll always turn to blow me a kiss and await my return kiss. We catch the respective smooches and put them in our pockets. It doesn't matter who is around to witness it. He's 14. When I hug him I put my head on his shoulder. He may look like a man, but he'll always be my little boy ... and no one can take that away from me.

"I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living my baby you'll be." ~ Robert Munsch