Happy Birthday Taylor...Love Mom

April 29...Taylor's birthday. Today my boy turns 24. I was 24 when I had him so for half my life I've been his mom. I've been reflecting on the things I knew before he gave me the name "mom" and the things I've learned in the years since. I guess the first 24 were preparation for the wonder, the love, the heartache, the loss and the tremendous gift that is parenthood. Taylor was a remarkable kid and music was in his bones. As a toddler he'd sit in the shopping cart, arrange the groceries and proceed to drum on them. The checkers all knew him by name and his big blue eyes and blond curls drew many an "Awwwwe" from the ladies. His dad had a drum set and as soon as he was sitting up and could hold the sticks he was playing. And he was good. His hands never stopped tapping and his love of music never stopped growing. He had so many wonderful impromptu moments where he would burst into song, the most memorable being at the mall during Christmas 1991. He started singing Jingle Bells near a holiday display and eventually had a sizable audience. I ran into a woman about six months later who recognized Taylor and remembered his earnest yet exuberant performance. If he were a kid today I'm sure he would be a YouTube hit :-) As he got older his knowledge of music trivia became legendary. The odd and obscure his domain. He's also funny, kind, generous, polite and a bit of a procrastinator. With every step, every lesson learned, every success, he was one step closer to walking out the door and claiming his independence. Taylor is 24. In the parlance of the day, he is more or less launched. He graduated from college; he's living in San Francisco; he has a few internships lined up and is looking forward...moving on. But there are so many things left for him to experience. I hope every day I get the privilege to brag about the next 24. Happy Birthday Taylor. I love you.