6 foot stature

I miss Austin's confidence. The past couple of years, I think he grew about an inch a day. His height was matching his maturity and with every inch, his confidence grew too.

He was so ready to jump behind the wheel and get his license, even though he had two more years to go. He was also ready to finish his training with the fire department and become certified, even though he wasn't old enough to complete all the classes! Sometimes it frustrated him because he was ready to grow up faster than his body and age would allow.

Tim and I were talking last night and remembering how he loved to pretend he was "Mr. Blair" on the phone. His voice had grown deeper and if someone would call for "Mr. Blair" he took it and ran with it. He also used it to his advantage when calling the phone or cable company. He didn't wait around for Mom & Dad, he just took care of business!

When he was tired of his satellite box continually messing up, he called customer service and complained. A new box arrived at our door step a few days later, along with a free month of the baseball channels.

When his cell phone quit working and he was tired of them just sending replacements that broke a few weeks later, he called customer service. I still chuckle, thinking back to his conversation with the rep on the phone. We drove to the store so he could compare phones with what the rep was offering. Whatever model it was, Austin wasn't satisfied. He said, "Sir, I think you are giving me the run around. This model is a lower level than the one I currently have. Considering that I'm not in a contract, I would think you'd want to work to keep me as a customer." And they did. He got a nice upgrade and left the store with a big smile. "Mr. Blair" could rock a complaint call! As my cell phone has been messing up the past few weeks, I think of Austin often and wish he were here to get Mom an upgrade!

Sometimes it was hard, seeing Austin achieve so much without needing my help. It was a sign he was growing up. You long for the days when they were little and still needed Mom. But looking back, Austin was always independent. Even as a toddler, he would say, "My can do it myself!" I guess what he "needed" from us was the freedom to grow and be himself. I'm glad we let him because that was a big part of who Austin was.