Nathan

Yesterday Nathan turned 15. I know it's cliche, but it seems like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital.

Nathan has always been my sensitive one. I have told him many times that he reminds me of the one leper in ten who came back to thank Jesus for being healed. Nathan is the one who remembers to tell me thanks for a good meal, the one who notices if I'm feeling down, and the one who empathizes with others (this may be a mutant gene as the rest of us in the family are sometimes sadly lacking in this quality).

Terry worried about Nathan's sensitivity when he was little. He wondered how Nathan would be able to compete in sports and if they would have anything in common. Turns out, Nathan is a highly competitive athlete and the one who truly enjoys watching sports with his Dad (unless the Vols lose - then the sensitivity kicks in and he has to leave the room).

Nathan is at the wonderful age where he is quite mature and capable (with the possible exception of cooking) but he hasn't forgotten how to have fun like a kid. He's a great son, a great brother, and a great friend. We are very proud of him.

And I've actually had a few Moms in the area tell me that Nathan is the kind of guy they hope their girls grow up to marry. I'm not ready to cut those apron strings quite yet!