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Gloria Lybecker posted an update
Special moments
One year for my birthday, my son Chris gave me a gift I still feel in my body when I think about it.
He didn’t hand me a bag or a box.
He said, “Mom, I’m taking you out on the boat.”Just the two of us.
Chris packed a simple picnic—nothing fancy, just the kind of food that tastes better because you’re eating it outside. The lake was calm, the air had that soft summer warmth, and the engine hummed as we skimmed across the water with a little wake trailing behind us like a ribbon.
We found a spot to slow down and drift, and that’s when I realized how special it was: no interruptions, no rush, no roles to manage. Just time. Just presence.
At one point, Chris did a little fishing—casual, patient, smiling like he was ten again. I sat there watching him, listening to the quiet lap of water against the boat, feeling my whole nervous system settle. There’s something about witnessing your child as a grown man—steady, kind, fully himself—that makes your heart do that tender ache of gratitude.
We talked. We laughed. We let silence be comfortable.
And I remember thinking, This is what I really wanted. Not more stuff. Just him.That day reminded me that the most meaningful birthdays aren’t always marked by what we receive…
They’re marked by who shows up—and how present they are when they do.Chris, thank you for that boat ride. Thank you for the picnic. Thank you for choosing time with me. It was one of my favorite birthdays ever.
