A Samsung 50 inch HDTV, digital cable, starring our son.

Yesterday, the cable company connected our new Samsung HDTV to the HDTV package so we could enjoy all the neat features. Of course, all this new technical stuff overwhelms me and it sort of does my husband as well. When our son came home from football, my daughter and me were at church. As we stepped in the door, Bill announced he had programmed the computer on the tv to record our favorite shows and we would no longer need to worry about doing this. I saw the twinkle in his eye. He was so proud of himself for knowing how to do this. Later on in the evening, he showed us all the other features and explained to us what all these things could do. The most important aspect of all was the fact that our son was helping his parents and his family. He knew this kind of stuff isn't really our thing and it was immediately a challenge for him and he felt needed. He felt important and smart as he programmed our control. As the clock ticked around to time to go to bed, he said on the way to his room that he will finish everything tommorrow when he comes home. I asked him what we were going to do now that he was going to sleep, he turned and winked with his eyes, "mom, I am sure you can push the off button, can't you? It's the big red one." I can still this tow-headed, brown as a biscuit child working feverishly with his bike, lego blocks, dirtbike ramps and whatever else, until he got it just the way he wanted it. Qualities that are so important for life. Traits that can be carried from childhood and built upon for success. We may not go to the toy aisle at Walmart anymore. We may not be purchasing the latest lego system, but as a parent, as my son's mother, I must look for opportunities everyday to give him the chance to feel needed, important and valued. I can't wait to see whatelse our new tv will do and I can't wait for our son to show us.