Wearing a badge.

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Today was Jacks Christmas show at school.  As I asked him during the week what songs they would sing, he would reply Its a surprise!.
I was deciding what he should wear.  Went to the boys shop and there it was.  A perfect size seven suit with shirt and tie.
Screaming to me to buy.  I brought it home and it was as if it were mad for him.  He put on the tie without any complaints.  I took his picture while he was waiting to go.  Watching his cartoons and looking angelic.
To some going to a Christmas show is cool, great but in our house... monumental.
He stood on the stage singing the correct words to the songs, standing still, smiling and behaving.
He was so "average" it brought tears to my eyes.
He was "just one of the kids in first grade."
How many Moms pray for average?
My prayer was answered.  He was certainly far from average.  He was the most handsome young man there in my eyes.  Smiling eyes, shining eyes, waving to us from the stage.
The woman behind us was talking incessantly through the concert.  Chatting about basketball practice, Christmas shopping, and what dresses her daughter has that the other little girls were wearing.  What an ass.  Then her husband told her to be quiet.  Rudely.  She was quiet.
I watched the beautiful little girls dresses sparkling, brighter than any dress I have ever worn.
The boys small miniature men.  You can see glimpses of them as grown. 
When we picked up Nana to go to the concert, she brought along a lapel pin for jacks suit coat.
An American flag with the navy flag, together.
It was Pops.  It is now his.  I cried as I saw his lapel pin sparkling on stage.  Thinking no matter how far away his Pop is, we wont let him forget him.
Grandfathers sat in the audience, but not his.
I cant let my anger outweigh our gratitutde that he has his Nana in the audience.  Some children didn't have any grandparents.  But why? why is that his future?
No drama really.  Just a wide broad stroke of a question.
So back to our handsome boy and his singing.  Just one of the kids... and that...
Is all I wanted.
His teacher approached me after the show and told me he was so proud of his lapel pin,
He was calling it his badge.
I'm ok with that.  for now.  He wears a badge, that his Pop wore, proudly.
We remain in love with our boy.
Our beautiful boy, with all his shortcomings and all of mine we are a perfect family.
The other picture is of our boy with his best girl Nana.
An amazing couple these two.
They fill my heart with Love.

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