Sunday With My Firstborn Son

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Yesterday our firstborn son gave us a new daughter.

Son, these words are for you, and they are what I hope I would have said had there been a "mother of the groom" speech.


Long, long before you were born, your father and I wanted a son.

Long, long before you were born, your father and I wanted YOU.

But, both being from a long line of daughters and very few sons, we were afraid the "Y" chromosomes in our gene pool were slow swimmers and we would never be given the gift of you.

Your dad consoled himself by saying that he'd be happy with all girls like on the first few seasons of "Little House on the Prairie."


Sure enough, your older sister came first. We were thrilled. We thought she was the cutest thing since sliced bread. She was the apple of our eye.

But she wasn't you.


Four years later, we had to get out the cradle and dust it off, for another little Broyles was on the way.


Not being the type who like to open their presents BEFORE Christmas, we didn't let the doctors "peek" inside our package ahead of your birth, so we were on pins and needles waiting to see if you, our son, would finally arrive.

In the delivery room, while I was a little busy, I heard a male voice SHOUT "It's a BOY!!!"

I thought, "Man, that doctor is SURE excited that we have our son!!!"

It was only later that I learned the shouting voice came from your father, the man who SWORE he would be happy with all girls.


For we had our son! Our little Gregory Kelly Broyles. We thought you were just about perfect in every way.

I will NEVER forget seeing your daddy PROUDLY hold you up high in the air to show you off to the entire congregation on your very fist Sunday in church when the pastor introduced you to the crowd.


Your first couple of years weren't particularly "easy" in the realm of health. You had numerous bouts of pneumonia before you were one at which time your doctor thought you had Cystic Fibrosis. Our world stood STILL as we held our breath, prayed, and waited for the test results. All we could do was commit you and your little life to the Lord.

You were spared from CF and I felt that God had rescued our little Isaac from the sacrificial altar.

You grew, you flourished, and you were our pride and joy.


Then the years intervened where your budding will often clashed with mine.

It was my job to be your mother and do my best to "train you up in the way that you should go."

Not always an easy task in the face of a little will that had its own way it wanted to go.

Sometimes when I think of those "tween" years - - - the ones where I was busy being mom - - - I fear I didn't remember to tell you OFTEN ENOUGH that you were exactly the son we had always wanted. I didn't stop and take the time to remind you that we wanted YOU long before you were ever born and that we were and are blessed beyond measure to have YOU as our son.


Now you've given us a new daughter and we think she is just about perfect in every way.


We think she compliments you in all the best of ways. We love you both, Mr. and Mrs. G. Kelly Broyles, and are very, very proud.

Thanks to Unknown Mami for hosting
"Sundays in My City"
To which I am linking this post.
My City today is Fort Wayne, Indiana

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