The Jordan Year: 23 and me and him

Jordan Year: The 23rd and best year of your life. Named in reference to Michael Jordan, superhero basketball player, whose jersey number is 23. www.urbandictionary.com

My relationship with him runs deep, back to my 25th year but it’s his Jordan Year that has me reflecting back on 1997. That’s when he was born — January 1997 but that wasn’t my first rodeo, October 1995 has that distinction. 1995 was my own Jordan Year. The best year of my life because that was when I became a mom.

As my second son nears the end of his Jordan Year, I’m glad his year did not include the challenge of navigating his life as well as another human being’s, as mine did. He can concentrate on securing all of the areas of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs — for himself. My Jordan Year required pursuing these for myself and his brother. When my second son was born, it was the first time we actually lived in a home without other family members. It was a major accomplishment, in year 25.

His Jordan Year: He’s finding his place on a different type of team — at work

Later that same year, I stood at my graduation with him in my arms and holding his brother’s hands, while trying to balance my college degree for a monumental photo. I did it, after 5 active years pursuing that degree and another two years paying the balance on my account so that I could access my degree — I did it. It was a major accomplishment, in year 25.

His Jordan Year: He’s contemplating the necessity of formal training when he has so many natural talents

It was a blessing to have skipped the surge of online dating because I was matched with my life partner by age 23 and well into the idea of building a life together. That year though, had me doubting so much. Doubt about how I was going to provide for a new life and still live a life. I doubted how life would materialize and I must admit, the lingering doubt also included converting that match into a marriage — we did it. It was a major accomplishment, in year 27.

His Jordan Year: He spent building his first adult relationship

My Jordan year was the best year of my life but so was my 25th and 27th and 35th and 48th, etc. Measuring a life experience is reductive. Collapsing it into good, better, best is even more limiting. He is finding, contemplating and building a life, that I hope is not marked by 2020, being the best it has to offer. So, as my 23 year old son prepares to exit his Jordan Year, I hope one of the lessons he embraces is that it will be hard to quantify this as his best year, when he is living his best life.

Happy Birthday my son.

I’m a wife, mom and Diversity & Inclusion Practitioner who believes in sharing my experiences in an effort to create a greater sense of belonging in the home and workplace. I share in this space https://www.gritsyall.com or I can visit yours.