In Praise of Oldest Son

Oldest son doesn’t get as many mentions on here as his brother.  Not that he’s bothered – he’s a teenager.

When I first started unravelling-edges he read my posts but he soon got bored.  What teenage boy wants to see inside his mother’s head?

Since I’ve started re-ravelling he’s shown no interest at all, unlike younger son who’s suddenly as interested in the blog stats as much as his mother – especially all posts that are about him and Lego!

Today is oldest son’s birthday, he’s fifteen.  This year he has grown so much and not just in height although I’m sure he stands taller now than his dad was and he’s got bigger feet!

Through this difficult year he has been the most stable of all of us, rarely letting his emotions show.  I’ve worried about him but have come to the conclusion that is just the way he is.  He plods on with little fuss or bother.  In so many ways he is like his father and in these last few months I have valued talking to him as a young adult.

He has become my sounding board, speaking the words I know Andrew would have said to me were he still here.  Their views and opinions are practically one.  Sometimes I have to stop myself and remember he is still a child, I don’t want to be so dependent on him I burden him with my worries.  He worries enough about grown up things as the “man of the house”; although it is a phrase I have personally tried not to use to describe him.

Like his father he is gentle and kind.  He has he lovely manner with young and old alike, I’ve received many compliments about how he treats others.  He tries hard at school having his heart set on a career in sports journalism.  With all that’s happened I’m impressed he hasn’t rebelled or gone off the rails, maybe that’s the power of prayer, keeping him focused or the determination and tenacity he’s picked up from his dad.

I would never name him or add his photo on here, he never asked for this.  But I wanted to add a special photo to go with this tribute.

On his second birthday I made him the most amazing cake.  It was Noddy and Big Ears in Noddy’s car.  It took me all day to make and it was a shame to finally cut it.

Today I made a cake like a tennis ball and it actually worked - in the end. 

 

I was running out of time with the icing and kept smoothing it over and starting again, sprinkling more green glittery sugar over the top to cover where I had gone wrong.

Finally I stepped back and surveyed my creation.  You know what, despite the mess, to both cake and kitchen, along the way, the joys of it rising in the oven and the despair when I couldn’t get it exactly how I wanted it to go, it turned out great!

Just like oldest son. 

 

Happy Birthday from a very proud mother! xx