A Captive Audience

My Daniel is number four out of my five children.  

I'll admit it, he sometimes gets lost in the mix.  

He is quiet, reserved, and never voices his opinions out loud.  That's what happens when you have three loud-mouthed older brothers with big personalities...you keep quiet and just play along!

Since the beginning of this year, Danny has started playing baseball with Kyle's (#2 son) former team.  It is a wonderful Christian Homeschooling league that plays private schools in the Houston area.  It's a struggle and a little over an hour to get there each week, so that's why we go to practice/games at least three times a week!  But my boy loves baseball so much, so I make the time.

And for a couple of hours a week, I have a captive audience.

It's our time (and I hope one day he'll see it, too) for us to have deep and meaningful conversations.  Some days we solve all the problems of the world...and some days, it's just fart jokes.

He opens up because there are no brothers around to give him a hard time. 

 We listen to music, talk about the game, 

we eat out at the places HE gets to pick, 

and sometimes it's quiet... that's ok, too.  

Being 13 is hard, and I'm so grateful he wants to 

put down his phone and talk to me. 

 He lets me be part of his world for the time it takes 

for that car ride.  I often wonder if he is the captive in the audience, or am I?  

Because I realize now, more than ever,

one day there will be no one left to take to practice.