Fry, Party of Five

A few weeks ago I took three 13-year-old boys (well… one is almost 13) out for the evening.

I’ll admit it—I was a little nervous. Three teenage boys? That sounded like the beginning of a parenting horror story.

I pictured endless fart jokes, awkward silence, questionable decision-making, and me wondering why I ever thought this was a good idea.

Instead, I spent the evening smiling.

Somewhere Between Boys and Young Men

This age is fascinating.

Their voices have dropped. They’re suddenly taller than I remember. They carry themselves differently. Their conversations are changing. Every once in a while they’ll say something that catches me off guard, reminding me they’re growing into young men right before my eyes.

And then…

One of them tells an absolutely ridiculous joke. Someone starts laughing. Another one can’t stop laughing because the first one is laughing.

Before long, all three are doubled over with those same unmistakable giggles I’ve heard for years.

The kind that comes from deep in their bellies.

The kind that reminds you they’re still just kids.

The Best Sound in the World

There was so much laughter. The loud, uncontrollable kind. The kind that turns into snorting.

The kind that makes you laugh even when you don’t know what was so funny in the first place.

There were a few screams, too.

That may or may not have had something to do with our decision to see Backrooms.

In hindsight…

Maybe not my brightest idea.

(We’ll save that story for another day.)

A Front-Row Seat

Watching the three of them together might have been my favorite part of the night.

They’re funny. Kind.Awkward in all the best ways.

Confident one minute and complete goofballs the next.

They’re figuring out who they are while somehow still being exactly who they’ve always been.

It reminded me that friendships at this age are something special. They’re building memories they probably don’t even realize they’ll carry with them for years.

And somehow, I got a front-row seat.

Standing in the Doorway

Parenting thirteen-year-olds feels a little like standing in a doorway.

Behind them is childhood.

Ahead of them is high school, driver’s licenses, first jobs, graduations, and all the milestones that seem impossibly close now.

Some days it feels like childhood is already slipping away.

But then a night like this comes along. A night full of laughter. Inside jokes.Movie theater popcorn. Goofy conversations.

And boys who still laugh until they can’t catch their breath.

It reminds me that they haven’t crossed that doorway just yet.

They’re still here. Still wonderfully, beautifully kids.

Holding On to the In-Between

I know these years won’t last forever.

Before long, evenings with Mom won’t seem nearly as exciting as evenings with friends. Schedules will get busier. Life will get louder. They’ll continue growing into the young men they’re meant to become.

But for one ordinary almost summer evening, they were simply three boys having fun together.

And I felt incredibly lucky to witness it.

I can’t wait to watch them grow.

But if I’m honest…

I hope those contagious giggles stick around for a very, very long time.