Last night I felt that the well was a little dry, as I wrote a preview to today’s blog as it was big news here and I didn’t have much other than that on my mind.  I have to confess, it concerned me, since I figured today would be just a rehash of what went on.  But like so many other times in my life when I feel this way, suddenly I find myself in the land of abundance.  And that is where I find myself today.

First of all I should let you know from the start that Ben overcame his genetics, and not only finished his first day of school but did so without incident.  No principal, no police, no angry girlfriends or suddenly retiring teachers…..he did great.

But the material started flowing again just about 3am, when I looked next to me in my bed and I saw him there.  His “promise” of sleeping and staying in his own bed, which I understood as permanent turned out to be only temporary….and very temporary at that.  But I let that slide.  He needed his sleep and so did I.  I decided to save that battle for another day.

In the morning however, when he was getting dressed to head to St. Mary’s, I asked him if he knew who Mary was, but he didn’t make the connection.  So I asked him who Jesus was, and he knew that, and then I asked him who His mother was and he said “Mary.”  So I said, “your school is a school named after Jesus’ mother.”  He thought for a minute and then asked, “Is this school going to be about Jesus?”  And I said, “well I suppose at least some of the time.”  So he said, “Well I do not want to go to a school that is about Jesus.”  So I told him that was something I preferred he not share at school.

But soon we were off.  He walked right in.  He had no tears, no fuss, and apparently no anxiety.  Amanda was a little upset, but she did better than I expected her to as well.  We got out of there and he began his day.

Amanda called me at 2:30, since I was supposed to pick him up at 3, and seemed surprised that no one from the school had called.  Yep, Ben stayed out of trouble, didn’t need his parents, and when I arrived he got up like an old pro and went with me to get his backpack as if he had done it a hundred times.  He was as cool as they come.  The report from his teacher was great, the kids seem to like him, and soon he was in the car with Viper and I heading to the bank.

I did ask him how school was, which he defined as “fine.”  When I asked him what they did he said, “we played, ate, and did our homework.”  (He didn’t seem to bring anything home to work on, so I am guessing he finished his calculus in class.)  But when I asked him if he drew any pictures today in class he looked at me very seriously and said, “Dad, we don’t draw at St. Mary’s.”

So he is well on his way to wherever he is going and God save the teachers ahead of him.  The nice thing is that he enjoyed it.  I am glad too.  He is a great boy, and a life of adventure and learning is on the road right before him.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+