Mamaaaaaa.....Just killed a man.......

My son Rob's anxiety level has kicked up a notch. Tomorrow he faces the auditions for the school musical. As a high school freshman, he might be facing the most stressful event of his life. How did he deal with it?

By singing Queen all morning. I drank my coffee wondering, Is this my real life?

He's a pretty good singer, though, so I encouraged him to have faith that life had just begun. Don't throw it all away by not auditioning, just to avoid some stress. (He's tempted.) I guess that was the wrong thing to say. He said, "If I'm not back again this time tomorrow-Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters."

Then I got some pictures in my email. This is my brother with his band, Blues Mission. They live in Phoenix. I can't wait to show Rob. My brother Steve is the one in the green Hawaiian shirt.



Funny these should come today, huh? I don't see my brother much, since we've always lived so far apart. My perception of his present self is far more colored by my memories of him as an angst teenager than by any information I have of him as an adult. I am smart enough to know that the person he is today is probably a far cry from his high school self, created by his varied life experiences, challenges, and successes. I just don't know that much about those experiences.

Tonight I'll remind Rob, "You're not just a poor boy from a poor family. You come from talent!"

Rob will tell me I don't understand, that "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me-"

And tomorrow, he'll face off with him. I'm putting my money on Rob.

And if he doesn't get a part? By Monday he'll be happily singing, "Any way the wind blows...."

We'll be awhile before we know the real Rob. I'll wait for that knowledge in a joy-filled hope.