Snapshot: Camden

Twelve years ago Brian and I woke early after a night of little sleep - because who can sleep when your life is about to change - to fly to Chicago to meet an endearing 8-month old Korean baby. He was wearing too-big mustard yellow socks, and he smiled at us almost immediately. The college-aged Korean man who spent over 24 hours traveling with this little one strapped to his chest was the first Korean we had ever met. We did not speak Korean, and he did not speak English. That sweet man, with tears in his eyes, handed the baby to me, and I became a mama. I still can't think about it without tears in my own eyes. Twelve short years ago.

A few things about Camden on this 12th Family Day:

Reading . . . everything he can get his hands on. His love for reading has not diminished over the years, and you can almost always find him with his nose in a book. He especially loves books with magic/fantasy worlds (think Harry Potter, Wingfeather Saga, The Marvels by Brian Selznick).

Eating . . . anything you put in front of him. The kid inhales food, and he pretty much likes everything although raw vegetables aren't necessarily a favorite. I would call him a foodie because of his palate for new and exotic foods (no fast food junkies here), but he adds Sriracha to supper every night so that kind of negates his foodie status.

Feeling . . . all the feels. As he matures, he feels in a bigger way, more in tune with others, more compassionate in general. And, oh, the book characters. He invests heavy emotions in book characters. Recently, after finishing a favorite series with a less-than-desirable ending, he set books aside for 7 whole days (definitely a record). And he was wrecked this week when we finished Harry Potter #6 and learned of Dumbledore's death. Wrecked.

Persevering . . . I love the progress we're seeing as he tackles hard things. For instance, he decided to cut out dessert/sweets and soft drinks for the month of March, and he has been rock solid. Middle school is not easy to navigate, but he is persevering not only in school work but in character development.

Striving . . . to find a sense of accomplishment in real life situations (vs. winning a video game). For example, completing a difficult physical job, learning a new guitar skill, finishing a school project. So much progress over the last several months.

Winning . . . at life. This kid is so smart, funny, talented and such a deep thinker.

Avoiding . . . the camera, but not hugs from mom and dad.

Favorites . . . teal (color), he could not choose a favorite food (which doesn't surprise me in the least), The Warden and the Wolf King (book), Glow in the Dark by  Jason Gray (song), Young Justice (TV show), baseball (pitching, in particular).

Celebrating . . . Friday with a trip to a Tennessee State Park and lunch (he's having trouble deciding which restaurant, of course).

An old picture, but one of my all-time favorites.