Sorry in advance for the length of this post, but quite frankly, I just couldn't bear to leave any of it out! When the boys were growing up, Andy was simply the very best arm-chair-reader in the world. He read to them every day, and their favorite was always anything by Dr. Seuss (especially One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.) One of my favorites has always been Oh the Places You'll Go. Dr. Seuss was just so blatantly honest in this story that transcends time into adulthood. I've never been one of those moms that tells or even believes my children are perfect. Don't get me wrong...they have always been pretty darn close, but they have made mistakes as all children do. Then comes the day they leave the nest, and you have to trust that you've taught them well enough to not only survive but flourish in this great big world. I had such a proud moment the other day when I was looking through some photos online and saw Ches serving during his Sunday afternoon outreach at a homeless shelter in Atlanta. So humor this proud mama's heart and sneak a peek at the photos:
After seeing the photos, it just brought Oh! The Places You'll Go to my mind...not only for my own boys, but for those that have ended up there in that shelter. Could their mamas have ever even imagined that their beloved child would become homeless? Did these people ever really have a mama's love? Surely some of them did. Doesn't it make you want to hold onto your family just a little harder and longer?
Before I sound too proud, do let me share this other precious picture I saw on the same day...this must have come from Andy's gene pool! One day this child could could very well be leading your church youth group or music ministry!
Now I'll leave you with Oh! The Places You'll Go in its entirety for those not too tired of reading yet! Oh and coming soon...my other proud mama moment to share pics of Austin!
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Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss
Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch. You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump. And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t. I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot. And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
What a guy he has turned into though. Somehow we managed to raise a thoughtful, generous, caring young man from that rambunctious boy! I can't say that we honestly deserve very much credit as we were so young and naive and ignorant...growing up alongside him really. For Mother's Day this year, he picked out the gifts himself (quite an accomplishment for a guy!) We attended a concert at Northside Baptist one evening, and he quietly slipped out to the lobby during intermission to buy a Point of Grace cookbook for my mom - knowing how much she loves a good cookbook. He bought me gift cards to be used at the High Museum in Atlanta (even one for parking!) - knowing how much I love to surround myself with the arts, but never would spend the money. He's been known to slip a little money to his starving, college-student brother - even though the mean old parents had limited his funds. Stray animals seem to search him out from every corner of the earth, and his soft heart must rescue each one...oh mercy! This week's new stray is a baby duck...a real live quacking yellow duck. He found him underneath a dumpster covered in mud and just couldn't resist...welcome to the family William III (or baby duck as I call him!)
Did you ever sing the song On Top of Spaghetti when you were a child? Andy had never heard this famous tune, so I entertained him as I was cooking. I could only remember the first 2 lines, but technology is truly amazing...I googled it...and low and behold found the lyrics here 
