Haiku about My Growing Boy

Our children came to us on April 1, 2010. Three of them--at the time,two boys, 11 & 13, and a girl, 5. We knew that these children needed time to get to know us, to trust us, to bond with us. It may take a long time, the experts say for them to feel safe. Our middle child was not typical in his bonding.  He jumped into his new life with us fully. He started showing signs of bonding soon after moving in--a couple of weeks perhaps. He joined me on almost every excursion I made--to stores, family, even to pay bills. He wore my shoes, my robes, my glasses. He treasured a necklace I let him hold onto, wearing it every day.  He let me read to him before bed, invited me to play with his Star War figures along side him. He kept me company in the kitchen, or while doing laundry. He hugged a lot and cuddled.  Our experts told us that his bonding more quickly is probably because of his personality and the view he had of his life.

This morning, I was listening to some voice recordings I found on my old cell phone that our middle child made that first spring or summer he joined us. It was bittersweet for me to hear them. "The voice of the boy who is no more,"  are the words that came to me. Puberty and hormones took away my tag-a-long pal. I miss him. But, I do have a nice kid who considers me his mom and is happy to be where he is. That 11-year-old is now 14. He is now taller than me, and  no one will ever mix up his telephone voice with mine ever again. He chooses to stay home with the Xbox over coming along with me on my errands, but he still asks where I'm going and when I'll be back. He doesn't wear that special necklace anymore, but he still wears my robe once in a while. It's been a while since he climbed onto my lap, but he puts his arm around me, even in front of his friends, and he willingly gives me a hug when I ask for one. He still invites me to play but now it's on his video games, and not on the floor with Darth Vader and Obi Wan. Before bed, I don't read to him anymore, but every night he visits with me before bed and kisses me goodnight. 

Now I have a haiku inspired by my second boy, who is growing up too fast for me. 

Where is that boy who

was by my side? He's still near, 

If I look closely.