Knots In His Shoelaces

I love proud mom moments.  The boy is smart, funny, talented, and full of life... we are always proud of his accomplishments.

Last week, I had my proudest mom moment ever, and it had nothing to do with an accomplishment.  I think it's safe to say no one even saw what happened.  Thankfully, the boy tells me everything, so I got to hear about what he did.

It wasn't a huge thing; it was a small gesture, but it made my heart feel like it would burst.  It was plenty big enough for me.

In my typical nosey mama style, I was grilling him on the day's events at school.
He told me about lunch (a big deal for 13 year-olds).  He told me about a test he'd taken and grades he'd gotten back.  I'm sure there was conversation about who was going to the dance or who likes who now... all the gritty Middle School details.
And then he said,
"My shoe was untied before Social Studies, and I didn't have time to tie it.  So when I sat down, my Special Needs friend, C, asked if he could tie it for me."

"Well?" I asked.  "Did you let him?"

He said, "Yeah.  He wears shoes that zip, so I didn't know if he could do it.  So I let him try."

Holding my breath, I asked, "How did he do?"

He said, "I could tell he's been practicing!  When he finished, I had like 5 knots in my shoelaces!"

And then he moved on to the next item of teenage conversation.  Just like that. 
What he didn't know was that I was dying a tiny bit inside. 
What he didn't know was how I felt like crying.

"I am so proud of you for doing that," I said.  "That was kind of you to let him practice tying on your shoe."

"Yeah," he said.  "I didn't mind."

"Well, thanks," I said.

Sometimes (daily) I wonder if I'm getting it right.  I doubt my own steps, and the one thing I doubt the most is whether or not the boy is getting the messages we want him to get.
Sometimes we tell him how to behave.  Sometimes we yell at him for not behaving.
Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a techno-lump on the sofa.

When I heard him tell about his friend tying his shoe, I knew he'd gotten it.
His intelligence may get him far in life, but his kindness is what I want people to remember.

He is so funny, and he makes all his friends laugh, but I want him to be a friend to all.

His athletic ability is amazing; I love to watch him score a goal. But, I would trade every goal he's ever made to know he's always going to be willing to have knots in his shoelaces.

We've always said we want him to have a heart like Jesus.  Knotty shoelaces seems like a good place to start.