The Train Ride Ended But Love Never Stops

''I've never rode a train Mom.'' he said with eyes lit up. So, we bought two round-trip tickets to my mother's house. (She lives a short walk away from the train station.) Our trip would only be forty minutes but that would be long enough to say ''We've rode a train! '' The day of our trip was the day after his eleventh birthday. I'm pretty touched that he would choose to spend the day with me instead of his friends. Our train arrived at seven A.M. and we didn't leave until nine P.M. This gave us plenty of time just him and I. I thought everything went great. We played games like''Catchphrase'' for about 5 hours and laughed and laughed! No talk of my childhood came up. (thankfully) He and I took a couple walks together spending hours in antique shops until he found the perfect antique 'survival knife' to buy with his birthday money. We stopped into the ice-cream parlor and had the biggest ice-cream cones known to man! When it was time to leave we walked to the little restaurant for dinner first. We shared our meals and talked about our day. I saw a young man sitting across from me, looking at me through the eyes of my baby boy. After our meal we walked back to the train station. Our train was late but we didn't mind that just meant more time to talk. When I saw his eyes fill with tears I had no idea what was wrong. I was chilled to hear what he said. ''Mom, I just feel so bad for you. I can see how sad you are when you talk with your mom. I just wish you didn't have the childhood you had. That's why I took so many trips to the bathroom today...I just couldn't look at you sitting there with her. I knew how you were feeling, I could see it in your eyes.'' It took some convincing to make him see that I don't focus on what my mom and I don't have. My focus is on what he and I do have and that is priceless! His compassion is crippling and I am moved beyond words at the tenderness in which he feels. I'm truly blessed with an angel of my very own. I wouldn't trade that kid for anything in this world and I'll never forget how he chose to spend his eleventh birthday.