Proud of my sons

On Sunday 22 March 1990, my son Kelton was born. In a few days time it will be his 22nd birthday.

I was there at his birth. I welcomed him into a new world from a warm and comfortable place, that was his world for the past nine months.

I still remember when he was born he was a disconcerting blue colour, then he shivered, cried, screamed and was then calm.

I even cut his umbilical cord, a small squirt of blood came out which the nurse as quickly clamped with what looked like a plastic paperclip.

The nurse took him a few meters away and placed him on a towel that was sat on a small set of scales. It read 3.24kgs.I smiled with pride. But it was more than pride, it was instant love. 

The love only a man could know and appreciate what it is like to be a father. 

Protective, concerned, anxious for my son's welfare, this fragile bundle of absolute joy was now to be taken care of by two people who had never met him before and yet trusted, without question, everything they would do for him.

They would teach him how to be responsible, be fit and healthy, be honest, grow with integrity, become the leader we wanted of him, be respectful, to be able to fit into society and finally be the man every father wishes of their sons, just a good all round guy that we could be proud of.

He has and is.

As happens in every mans life, it gets to a point when its time to 'fly the roost'. Last week my son left home and moved into his own place with some friends. He was both excited and somewhat sad. When I asked why he said that he really had no reason to move other than he was growing up and wanted to be more independent. He also said "quite a few of my friends asked why I am moving out and did you have a spat with your parents or something? no I said nothing like that at all."

Again, when I asked why he stated that most, if not all had some issue of point of crisis with their parents and 'had' to move out. Again, I felt proud we did something right and will continue to do so.

For most of my or rather his life, I have always checked into both my sons rooms just to make sure they are OK. The eldest son Kyle, left home a few years ago, is now married with two amazing sons of his own (Hamish and William). On Monday morning I still checked to see if Kelton was OK, or rather to get him up for work, but his room was empty, he had naturally taken everything he owned and moved into his new world now and so... I felt a small sense of loss, but a bigger sense of pride.

I am proud.