It's Startling

by Mary Stosich

He is our oldest son. The one that startled my life as “Mom.” (“Startled” was not a typo.) His startling not only began at birth but continued with fighting siblings, running away from home, arguing with parents, not keeping curfew and being the cause of sleepless nights and not a small amount of anxiety. Life continued with its kind and cruel passing of years. His startling continues still, but sweetly different.

This “little boy” of ours recently moved back into our town with his family. Now there are some startling twists just in that. He is now an oral/facial surgeon (I can’t spell the real title). That’s extremely startling considering the number of times I ever saw him bring home a book in high school. A few years ago I told his adorable wife that when they finished medical school, she and I would both know how it was possible. I give her the credit. And it’s also startling that those two are parents to five sons. So far, five sons.

Our entire family—all twenty-nine of us have just been together for five days. Don’t worry, I will spare you the details except for one. We had just prepared and cleaned up dinner. I was standing in the kitchen, maybe in a sort of daze when this particular son walked over to me.

Now I am not a small woman, but my 5’11” persona shrinks next to my towering boys. I felt his once chubby arms, now masculine and wonderfully overwhelming, wrap around me with a big squeeze. I heard the words. They are words that strengthen, motivate and bridge across the trials of living. “I love you Mom.” Although his expressions of love are not infrequent these days, this timely tenderness was startling mana from heaven. My soul, sweetly fed with precious light, was fully satisfied.