Just mailed this little guy a package to Guatemala.
A special birthday package.
It will be his 21st birthday.
(obviously this is not the most recent picture of him but one of my favorites.)
To most young men his age, it is a huge milestone.
He is legal
Legit in every way.
His drivers license, if he were here to spend the 3 to 4 hours waiting in line at the DMV,
would be changed from vertical to
horizontal.
I would be thinking about planning a big party
maybe a surprise party...
(he would hate the big fuss)
He might want the latest technology....
something with all the bells and whistles...
that would exceed my financial comfort level
but with his patient sweet persistence he might prevail.
And I would hug him....
A LOT.
And he might make a face or two but he would be patient with his silly mom because he is Jack.
But not this time
Instead I mailed a box.
Inside it was:
60 dark Hersheys Dark Chocolate Bars; enough to eat one each day from Monday through Friday and have just enough for him to share the last one with me in September. (I would have bought more, one for each day but I cleaned out my local grocery store. I think the checker was judging me for it too.)
1 leather belt that can switch from black to brown.
6 pairs of black dress socks with colorful toe and heel inset so that maybe he won't lose them as fast.
1 jar of dark cocoa powder almonds.
1 medium Tshirt that said 'Texas Pride; The Lone Star State" and has a detailed map of Texas as the background. A shirt that he would never wear here in the states. He might not in Guatemala either.
1 bag of Hershey dark chocolate pieces and
As much love as I could cram into a flat rate mailer.
The value of the presents inside: about 50 dollars.
The cost to mail it to Guatemala: 53 dollars
Not your typical presents for a 21 year old male.
So on that special day in July.....
there will be no parties or fancy gifts
no balloons or birthday cakes
and there will be nothing in his behavior to suggest the change from young man
to legal adult.
He will spend the day quietly serving the people of Guatemala
bearing testimony of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen.
I could not be prouder...
(and I will get that hug 84 days after my baby boy turns 21)
1 comment:
Ohhh, another cry! If you changed the picture a little and the name to Dave, I could have written this one! Especially the part about the latest technology gadget! They are a lot alike, all these boys.
I looked at that sweet baby picture and thought, "Oh how could you send that sweet baby to Guatemala--zone 18, no less?" :)
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