My sweet Josh turned TWELVE last week. TWELVE. I know. It's remarkable. This and him starting junior high at the end of the month are just too big to get my brain around.
What do I love about Josh? I love his enormous smile. I love how gentle he is with Ben. I love his insatiable appetite for reading late at night. (I also hate it.) I love his loyalty to his friends. I love his passion for soccer. I love his tender heart. I love his sense of humor. I love his enormous sunglasses that he got on Fisherman's Wharf (2 for $10. Woohoo.) I love his growing sense of self and style. I have loved his shaggy hair, but...
Twelve is a big age in the LDS faith. Boys receive the Aaronic Priesthood and are ordained deacons. Josh has been looking forward to this, as he is one of the youngest of his friends to turn twelve. In the week before his birthday, David asked Josh to consider cutting his hair shorter for his priesthood ordination. We discussed this together, as Josh was ESPECIALLY not wanting to cut his hair before junior high. I told him that my opinion is that hair length has nothing to do with goodness or righteousness, but that as a traditional show of respect, I could understand his dad's request. We told him it was his choice, but that we felt like it would show respect for the cultural norm and that it would show Heavenly Father that he was willing to sacrifice. The rebel in me has a hard time with this, because I really DO believe that all of us are Heavenly Father's children and that hair length matters much less than how we treat others.
So what did he choose?
I was really proud of him. His ordination was very sweet, and we were grateful for our family. Dad, Mom and Chelsea even drove up for it, and only stayed two nights.
So, I have an old son. I love him and I'm proud of him and I'm grateful to be his mom. And he says he won't cut his hair again until his Melchizedek Priesthood ordination. When he's 19. :)
4 comments:
We are so lucky to have Josh as a neighbor! He is such a GREAT example for my boys! During scriptures last night Chad talked about Josh having the priesthood. He totally looks up to him!
You have a 12 year old??? Wow! I'm sure you told me that once. He is beautiful! I love his hair. We would have a 12 year old too if things had gone by our timeline and plan! :) What a cute post this is.
okay, so that was an awesome story!
and josh, what a stud, Kerri, ill get you my mothers phone number...
My own hair was quite long not to mention a 'stache and a goatee, my grandparents have now been married for 50 years! for the first time in who knows how many of those EVERYONE is together for pictures.
"i just cant handle that." said mother about the idea of my hairy self on her wall. She refused to have a family picture unless...
Imagine! now i HATE my short hair and like josh i swear im not letting it get cut for the next 7 years! go josh!
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