As Daughter and I were concluding our phone call this evening, she said that Grandson wanted to tell me something. I could hear him urging her to let him tell me - whatever it was, he didn't want his mother spilling the beans.
"Guess what I did, Nanny."
I can't imagine, I replied. Go ahead and tell me.
"Just guess," he implored. "It's something we were talking about the other day; something I've been wanting to do for a long time."
Oh, god, I thought, which of his hundreds of things we've talked about could it be?
You drove a car?
"No, not that."
You kissed a girl?
"Well, yeah! Months ago, Nanny!"
You didn't get into any trouble, all day?
"You aren't going to guess, are you?" Big sigh of exasperation.
"I shaved!"
You shaved what? (Clearly, I was not very sharp this evening.)
"My face! I shaved my face! The first time!"
I was trying to think what there was to shave, other than the light fuzz under his nose, or his eyebrows, which are prodigious, resembling dark brown wooly-bears across his brow ridge. Then I remembered the patch of long, very light red, downy hairs that ran from the base of his chin down his throat to where it meets his neck.
Oh, I said. And you didn't slice your throat?
"No, not a single cut. I've already got five o'clock shadow and it's really itchy."
Shadow? When did you shave, Boo? (I'm thinking he had just shaved a few minutes before.)
"Last night, but I missed a bunch underneath my chin and on my lip, so I shaved again this morning." He sounded so proud of himself that I bit my lip to keep the giggle from bursting out.
"I won't shave again until tomorrow morning. I told Mom I need some of that shaving gel that makes your beard stand up so you can get a closer shave."
Well, Boo, you've joined the ranks of the Razor Regiment. You've taken another step along the road to being a man. Good for you!
"Yeah, I know, Nanny. Mom says I need to hang up now, so I love you, Nanny. I'll talk to you later."
This was one of those tender-funny moments that are gifts. Clearly, it was an important moment for him and I was being given the gift of his confidence, of his growing up. This may sound corny, and I guess I don't care if it does, but I want to laugh, to cry, to dance, to sing, all with joy and melancholy at once.
All because Grandson gave his man-child face its first shave today. God love him!
(I went looking for Rossini's Barber of Seville to mark the occasion. Thought maybe Domingo might have done it. But I found this group, which seems perfect. Hope you will enjoy them.)
Then this morning, I think this song is also appropriate.
9 comments:
That's a delightful moment in life to cherish..fist shave! Your post is fun to read..I can imagine how thrilled he was to tell you..and how you scratched your head in guessing. Cute granny-kids moment. I love it.
Aw...what an incredibly sweet story! He must feel very close to you to want to be the one to share that news with you. The fact that he wanted you to know at all speaks volumes about how much he trusts you and loves you. This post gave me a big smile. :)
And here I am, at the other end of the scale. Resenting the time it takes, having to negotiate the facial bagginess with increasing difficulty, crying to the heavens about the fraudulence practised by the Gillette/Wilkinson marketing departments, posing and re-posing the question: who's that fearful old baggage?, slicing the tops off my solar keratosis, hating the hair hanging out of my nostrils (which the bally razor cannot reach), and behaving in general like a very old grouch. Tell him to enjoy it while he can. There is of course one further matter to be anticipated: visits to the chriropodist.
(grin)
I think it is perfectly charming that he wanted to tell you.
Lovely and a simple delight.
My daddy had the implements in the picture. I can still hear the brush handle tapping the side of the cup as he went through his ritualistic shaving that included a hot steamy cloth held to his face.
I never had the patience to continue that ritual, and now I just retain the scrofulous patina that is my personal sartorial burden.
When you're ready to give him something to date from, set him up with a good barbershop shave, preferably with an ancient and rock-steady barber, assuming you can find a barber who offers shaves these days.
this is wonderful, the doing and the telling.
a lovely moment.
Precious.
I remember my friends at school - two brothers. Older brother (blonde side of family) was so fed up when his younger brother (dad's side - short dark and worringly similar to gorillas... in a cute way) grew a moustache!
I can still remember "s" parading the summer holidays with this caterpillar of fuzz on his top lip. All the girls thought it was revolting, but every boy was jealous as heck. LOL
Hello, everyone:
Thank you for your comments.
Grandson has had his first knick from the razor, and swore off shaving for a few days.
What made this event so important, beyond the norm, is that Grandson is autistic (Aspergers) and personal grooming is not one of his better skills - or even on his list of things to think about. Consequently, his showing interest in any aspect of personal hygiene is a good sign he is becoming more mature and responsible.
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