Spoiled By Modern Conveniences

I had some other ideas about today's slice of life but they were all set aside during the 20 minutes I spent trying to order my son's birthday present on-line.  I'm really excited about what I have created for him and I know it will mean a lot to him, this keepsake gift for his 13th birthday.  The website from which I was ordering obviously did not understand the importance of my purchase since it "could not find the page you're looking for" the four times I clicked "complete order."

Once again, I am slave to technology, to every question answered, every wish granted at the click of a button.  Last minute shopping?  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime 2-day shipping.  No more room for photo albums (and who wants to spend time peeling back cellophane from sticky pages or sliding photographs into plastic sleeves)? Thank you Shutterfly, Wal-mart.com, and Amazon Prime photo storage.  iCloud? I'm still working on trusting you with my precious memories.

Tonight's technological glitch was a gentle (okay, maybe not so gentle) reminder that it's okay if I don't get what I want as soon as I click the button.  My son's birthday will still take place.  We will still make him a birthday cake (which reminds me, I have to stop at the store tomorrow afternoon), and he will still be surrounded by his family to be showered with love, for we are all so grateful that he was born and that he grows, happy and healthy.

This evening I asked my soon-to-be-teenager what he'd like for his birthday (if you haven't noticed yet, I'm kind of a last-minute kind of girl).  His response further affirmed what I believe; that time with family and friends is more valuable than any material item.  He said, "Time with Bobby."  My heart melted.  Of all the things he could have requested as a gift for his birthday, he asked for time with his step-father, my husband, all to himself. This boy, my boy, at almost 13 years old, has got it figured out.