“No” might mean “no,” but “now” does NOT mean “now”

There will be many things I will long for once my son is gone and out on his own.  I will surely cope with the many contradictory emotions that come with the empty nest syndrome.  In many ways though, perhaps less than most because I have been accustomed to my son being absent for long-ish periods of time while he spent his summers with his dad in Florida.  But still, I know that I will lament those long ago days when he was a wee tot, holding my hand, falling asleep in my arms as I read to him, and singing Raffi’s “Joshua Giraffe” with the hand motions that we made up.

I’m pretty sure though that there will never come a time when I will miss asking something of him (first by text, then verbally), then reiterating that “now” is when I would like this something to occur, then the final “RIGHT G@#$@!NED NOW” – only to be told “I AM!” with all the vehemence and disdain and rolling of the eyes that a teenager can muster.  As if I stormed his room like a DEA raid, screaming “Everybody down!  Don’t move!  Hands in the air!”  Now that he lives in the cellar, I even start out by sending him a pleasant text with my request.  Then it goes to my making a polite verbal request before I execute Phase 3 of the request process, wherein I make it “clear” that I mean “now”.  By the time Phase 4 is launched – I’m insane.  He doesn’t understand why.

He is no trouble, this kid of mine.  He’s responsible, serious, self-disciplined, smart, motivated, ambitious, mature, funny as all hell.  He’s an all-around great kid and I feel very fortunate.  He’s even a Republican!  Can’t ask for more.

And when I say “no” – he gets that I mean “no” and he doesn’t even try to make me feel guilty because he understands that if I think I can acquiesce, I will.  But “now” means “when I finish my game” or “when my show is over” or “when I can drag myself away from what I’m doing”.

I won’t miss that.  Will I?