Our boys are a whole thing aren’t they?

I look up to my son.

I legit have to look up to him because he’s taller than me now.

I blinked and he stopped playing with LEGOs and went and got himself a job.

His feet grow out of all the shoes I buy, but I swear just yesterday he was kicking around in his two big Lightning McQueen Crocs everywhere he went.

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I used to sit by his side in a pile of Matchbox cars and helped set up tracks on the living room floor for all the hours and now my boy is somehow holding actual car keys in his hand, ready to walk out and hit the open road.

I could count on cuddling up with him on the couch each night, trusty blankie and brown guy by his side. Now my bedtime is before his and I head up the stairs as he disappears into the basement with his Xbox and his friends and I remind him not to stay up too late. He doesn’t listen.

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But he opens the door for me every time we get in the car and he takes out the garbage without being asked and he reaches high things in the kitchen.

He still gives me hugs and puts his head on my shoulder even though he has to scrunch down to do it.

He always asks me how my day is going and offers to get me drinks from the kitchen.

His eyes are still the kindest I’ve seen. He works so hard and never hesitates to lend a hand.

It is one of life’s joys to look up to our sons.

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When he was little I wanted to be able to hold him on my lap forever, but having him by my side is a gift I didn’t know I would cherish so dearly.

Watching him grow into the man he almost is fills my heart to the actual brim.

Our little boys are a preview of all our tall boys will be, we don’t lose them when their littleness goes—instead, we get the full gift of these amazing humans.

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And my heart breaks a little when I realize those long legs will eventually walk them away from us and into the world . . . but man we are so lucky to get to look up to our sons.

This post originally appeared on Hiding in the Closet with Coffee by Amy Betters-Midtvedt