Fifteen Years Ago Today

Fifteen years ago today, after a long and difficult labor, I gave birth to my oldest son.

I was seventeen.

Too young by most standards.

Scared in ways I didn’t yet have language for.

Bryan Theodore became my reason to live.

I don’t say that lightly, and I don’t say it for drama. It’s just the truth. Before him, my life felt untethered. After him, it had weight. Direction. A reason to stay.

I haven’t always been the best mother. That’s something I can admit now without flinching. I was learning in real time, often making decisions with borrowed confidence and very little rest. I was still growing up while trying to raise someone else.

But Bryan has always been the best son.

We grew up together in many ways. We’ve had our ups and downs, our learning curves, our seasons of friction and figuring it out. There were moments when we both needed more than we knew how to give, and moments where love carried what wisdom could not.

And somehow, through all of it, he became who he is today.

A young man with character.

With respect that feels genuine, not performative.

With a sense of humor that cuts through tension and reminds me not to take everything so seriously.

I watch him now and feel something steady and full in my chest. Pride, yes. Gratitude too. But also awe.

I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if I hadn’t become a mother so young. I wouldn’t see the world the way I do. I wouldn’t understand responsibility, resilience, or the quiet ways love reshapes you over time.

He didn’t just change my life.

He saved it.

And for that, and for him, I will always be grateful.

Happy birthday, my son.