Scott is 21 today

That fact amazes me.  It shouldn't, of course; I've been with him for all of his birthdays, and this one had to come.  Even so, that Scott is now a legal adult in every sense is somehow a bit of a mystery, as if it was an event that had caught me unawares instead of a perfectly natural development.  I love him so much, have loved him so much since the moment he was born, that it's sometimes odd to realize that my little boy has become the grown man in front of me.

Most of the time, of course, I don't have this reaction.  I know he's an adult.  I've watched with great pride and love as he's grown and matured.  This landmark birthday somehow triggered that sense of amazement. 

Tonight, we celebrated his birthday in classic Scott fashion:  a very tasty dinner at The Meat Palace (aka Brasa), followed by time at home for presents, and then one of his favorite desserts, cheesecake.  Of course, being our family, we didn't have a cheesecake; oh, no, that would be too restrained.  We had four different cheesecakes from Junior's, which is for my money the maker of the very best cheesecakes you can order. 

After everyone left, we played a little pool together, our usual best-of-five tournament.  Smack talk and laughter and jokes about our poor shooting filled the air. 

I cannot express how much I treasure those short times together.  As a boy, I yearned to have times doing things with a father.  As a father, I absolutely love it when I get to do things with my son. 

I am the luckiest father in the world to have Scott as my son.  I know I embarrass him sometimes, almost certainly when I hug him in front of others, kiss him on the cheek, and tell him I love him--but I'm not going to stop.  I never want him to doubt for a nanosecond how much I love him and am proud of him, and I intend to keep telling him for as long as I can breathe.

I love you, Scott.