RUT 4 – This is going to be an unabashed litany of prose demonstrating the purpose for the pride I have in my son, Colby. So, if you don’t want to hear a bunch of banter about my “Partner”, you may want to go to another blog now.
Anyway, those of you who know the family realize that tomorrow morning my baby boy, Colby, will be leaving the family for two years to enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo in order to prepare to serve a two year mission for the Mormon Church. He will be at the MTC for about two months to learn the French language, after which he will spend the following 22 months in and around Montreal, Canada. Colby has grown up way too fast for my liking. He is my baby boy, so as he gets older, so does his dad.
I’m not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby when both Tyler and Bryson left us to go on their missions two plus years ago, and I’m certain I will be crying like a baby tomorrow afternoon when I say goodbye to Colby.
Since Colby was a baby he has been my “Partner”. I have watched him grow probably more than I have been involved with his growth. He has been a wonderful son, and very easy to raise. I feel more like a spectator on the sidelines then a coach when it comes to Colby. He has pretty much made the right choices and done the right things without a lot of prodding from me.
I remember back to when Colby was born. The kid was huge. He was nine pounds, but he just kind of slipped into the world, the way he has kind of just slipped along through life. We got to the hospital at about 2:30 in the morning. It was raining, and it took us a while to get to the hospital because my car broke down on the freeway. I got it running again, and when we finished the half hour drive to Lakeside, California from Hacienda Heights, Colby was ready to come. It took a while for them to complete the paper work once we got to the hospital, and by the time they got it all done and got Debbie into a room, Colby was on his way out.
He was a big ball of love, and he really has been the same ever since. Of all the people I know in this world, Colby has the greatest ability to love everyone he meets. That is not without its rewards either.
My memory goes back to a time when Colby was about five years old. Our family and my brother’s familywere fishing on Salem Ponds. No one was catching anything. It was quite depressing. Colby took off down the bank of the pond for a while, and I lost track of him. He came back about a half hour later with a string of at least a half dozen fish. They were all cleaned and ready to cook. When I asked him where he got the fish, his response was that a couple had been fishing all weekend. He talked to them for a while, and they were about to leave. Instead of taking the fish home, they wanted to give them to him. He just makes friends that fast.
Another time our family was up sledding. Colby was about six. We would take turns sledding down and carrying the sled back up the hill again. Colby went down on the sled, and we lost sight of him as he went around a corner on the trail. We waited for him to come hiking back up the trail, and after a while I thought I would have to go get him. Just as I got up to go see what was taking him so long, here comes a snow mobile with a couple on it, and Colby on the back. Once again, Colby had made friends with the snow mobilers, and the rest of that day he had a free ride back up the hill every time he sledded down.
Colby continues to make friends to this day. I think that when he leaves, we will feel like the house is empty, because I would imagine his twenty or so friends that are here at the house every night won’t spend their evenings here without Colby. In fact it is 11:00 the night before Colby goes into the MTC right now. He was set apart at 9:30 this evening. There are still about forty kids at the house saying their last goodbyes to Colby. Colby promised he would get the last one out by midnight, but if they are gone by 2:00 in the morning I will be surprised.
I’m certain that Colby will make friends quickly when he gets to Canada too. He is just that way.
I am trying not to make this too long. Colby will be missed by all of us. He is a great son, and I am very proud of him. I love him a ton.
Later….
Anyway, those of you who know the family realize that tomorrow morning my baby boy, Colby, will be leaving the family for two years to enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo in order to prepare to serve a two year mission for the Mormon Church. He will be at the MTC for about two months to learn the French language, after which he will spend the following 22 months in and around Montreal, Canada. Colby has grown up way too fast for my liking. He is my baby boy, so as he gets older, so does his dad.
I’m not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby when both Tyler and Bryson left us to go on their missions two plus years ago, and I’m certain I will be crying like a baby tomorrow afternoon when I say goodbye to Colby.
Since Colby was a baby he has been my “Partner”. I have watched him grow probably more than I have been involved with his growth. He has been a wonderful son, and very easy to raise. I feel more like a spectator on the sidelines then a coach when it comes to Colby. He has pretty much made the right choices and done the right things without a lot of prodding from me.
I remember back to when Colby was born. The kid was huge. He was nine pounds, but he just kind of slipped into the world, the way he has kind of just slipped along through life. We got to the hospital at about 2:30 in the morning. It was raining, and it took us a while to get to the hospital because my car broke down on the freeway. I got it running again, and when we finished the half hour drive to Lakeside, California from Hacienda Heights, Colby was ready to come. It took a while for them to complete the paper work once we got to the hospital, and by the time they got it all done and got Debbie into a room, Colby was on his way out.
He was a big ball of love, and he really has been the same ever since. Of all the people I know in this world, Colby has the greatest ability to love everyone he meets. That is not without its rewards either.
My memory goes back to a time when Colby was about five years old. Our family and my brother’s familywere fishing on Salem Ponds. No one was catching anything. It was quite depressing. Colby took off down the bank of the pond for a while, and I lost track of him. He came back about a half hour later with a string of at least a half dozen fish. They were all cleaned and ready to cook. When I asked him where he got the fish, his response was that a couple had been fishing all weekend. He talked to them for a while, and they were about to leave. Instead of taking the fish home, they wanted to give them to him. He just makes friends that fast.
Another time our family was up sledding. Colby was about six. We would take turns sledding down and carrying the sled back up the hill again. Colby went down on the sled, and we lost sight of him as he went around a corner on the trail. We waited for him to come hiking back up the trail, and after a while I thought I would have to go get him. Just as I got up to go see what was taking him so long, here comes a snow mobile with a couple on it, and Colby on the back. Once again, Colby had made friends with the snow mobilers, and the rest of that day he had a free ride back up the hill every time he sledded down.
Colby continues to make friends to this day. I think that when he leaves, we will feel like the house is empty, because I would imagine his twenty or so friends that are here at the house every night won’t spend their evenings here without Colby. In fact it is 11:00 the night before Colby goes into the MTC right now. He was set apart at 9:30 this evening. There are still about forty kids at the house saying their last goodbyes to Colby. Colby promised he would get the last one out by midnight, but if they are gone by 2:00 in the morning I will be surprised.
I’m certain that Colby will make friends quickly when he gets to Canada too. He is just that way.
I am trying not to make this too long. Colby will be missed by all of us. He is a great son, and I am very proud of him. I love him a ton.
Later….
1 comment:
He made a friend in me that's for sure. That kid is a magnet. I wish I could have come down last night but I knew I'd just cry all over the place and make everyone uncomfortable. Here's to Colby the world's newest best missionary!
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