My boy

I feel like I write about Trouper and Emily much more than I do about Ryan. Perhaps that's because they are both sick, and seem to need me more than Ryan does. Maybe it's because he is my oldest child and the oldest children often get lost among the chaos of life, and younger siblings and sick parents. I know, I was the oldest child who had two younger, overachieving, often needy siblings and I was often lost. It happens, I'm not bitter and I've moved on but that's just the way it was on Hemphill Street, Odessa, Texas circa 1985. Today, I am going to write about Ryan who, just so happens, celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday.

Ryan began his journey on this earth at 4:21 on March 24th, 1992. I was 20 years old and scared to death. We knew there was something wrong with his kidney before he was born, but wouldn't know the extent until he made his entrance that warm, spring afternoon. It was spring break in Odessa, my sister was at home, my brother was off on a trip and I had been staying with my Mom and Stepdad awaiting Ryan's arrival. My contractions started pretty early that morning, so my Mom and I headed to the hospital. My OBGYN wasn't the greatest, in fact, he was kinda rude and looked down on single Moms but I made the best of it. I had some big decisions to make and he was strongly encouraging me to go in one direction and when I didn't go that route, he got worse. All that aside I was released a few days later and Ryan, the following Saturday. I remember that Friday, Kyna and I went to the hospital and sat rocking him for hours, I felt so bad leaving this little baby in the hospital alone. Luckily it was only for a day and the next, we started our journey together in the outside world. The following months were hard, Ryan had his kidney taken out on April 16th in Lubbock and two weeks after that I was back at work. I was never a bad Mom but I was so young and made mistakes, I'm just fortunate that Ryan allowed me to make those mistakes. He was a good baby, and when he did get fussy, we would drive him around and play the song "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and it always calmed him down. Trouper and I got married when Ryan was 9 months old and we were ready to be a family. Emily came along three years later and he was immediately a protective big brother. Ryan was the first grandchild, the first nephew and has always been the apple of his families eye. My brother adored Ryan. When Ryan was 3, he got the chicken pox so severe they covered his body, even his throat and mouth. My brother came over and watched The Brave Little Toaster for hours with Ryan. I can still see both of them laying on the sofa, eating red (they had to be red) Popsicles. They were two peas in a pod and when I look at Ryan, I see so much of Bumper.

As the years rolled on Ryan played basketball and rugby, was a cub scout until he went to middle school and being a scout was uncool, and was in chorus all the way through his senior year. Ryan became more reserved over the years and, is the introvert of our family. That's not that hard when you live with Trouper, who is always the life of the party and probably doesn't even know the definition of introvert. We've been through some bad times but some really wonderful times with Ryan. He is a wiz at movie trivia, if you want to know a show to binge watch on Netflix, he's your guy and loves to go kayaking and relax on the water. More than anything, he is still a protector. Last year, after one of Em's hospital stays, he went and stayed with her for a week, driving her to class, making sure she ate, helping her with meds and hanging out and making sure she was taken care of. Even though he is an introvert, he excels at personal conversations. He would talk to anyone, anywhere and loves to talk to older people. When Trouper first had his heart attack Ryan struck up a friendship with a elderly man and would spend hours everyday talking to him. It helped pass the time and gave him an outlet. 

Now, my little boy is a man and facing challenges, decisions and adventures and I want nothing more than to see him succeed. I do wish he would find a nice girl to hang out with, even if she has tattoo's and piercings. He's so lovable even though people tell him all the time that he's handsome, I don't think he believes it. But I know 2016 is the year of Ryan, and as he celebrates his 24th trip around the sun, he won't do it alone, he will always have his personal cheerleader by his side, along with a crazy Dad and a devoted Sister....