My boy is growing up. … His birthday is later this month, and we’ve already begun celebrating. There’s a lot to celebrate with this one.

I read once, in some advice for parents, that you should raise little people who you’d like to hang around with. And we’ve definitely done that with him. He’s someone that I love to just sit around and talk to. He’s the kind of person I would always want to be friends with if he weren’t my son. 

He’s smart, and witty. He’s charming, and kind, and thoughtful, and moral. He’s ultra-responsible. (This is a guy you don’t worry about going into the world on his own — he’ll navigate it fine.) And I love how responsible he always feels for his younger sister and brother. He’s a commitment guy — commits to long-term friendships, relationships, projects, beliefs. And he always stands up for what he believes in.

I’m so proud of the man he’s becoming. Happy birthday, son!