That means, according to state law, we can evict him if we want to because he is a man now, capable of fending for himself. Of course we won't do that. He’s still our baby boy.
Being the rocker I am, I can't help but hear that line from Alice Cooper's I'm Eighteen: “I got a baby’s brain and an old man’s heart.” And what a heart our son has. He's a kind young man with an easy smile who's always laughing and finding the good in the bad. He genuinely cares. Although when he texted me in the wee hours the other night to ask if he could stay out later with friends, it rattled me from a sweet sleep. I realize he won't feel obligated to ask for permission much longer.
He has covered a lot of ground over the years, from Baby Einstein videos and Matchbox cars to varsity basketball, college-level high school courses and ultra-sophisticated music production. He's taught me more than I ever imagined, most of all how to be a kid again. Our hope for Jackson is that one day he knows the depth of love we've had the pleasure of knowing these 18 years.
Happy birthday, big guy!