One of those things that will make a mom look up to heaven and say a quick &uot;thank you&uot; is when she realize that your teenage child wants to spend time with you. Such was the case last week for Matthew and I. At 16, he is usually wrapped up in sports and with his friends. At any given time he and several others are in front of one of their televisions playing sports video games. Other than that and eating, well, there are only so many hours in the day.

At the beginning of the Ole Miss football season and after two losses that were on the side of absurd, I wasn’t too worried about a bowl game. If they went anywhere at all it would be back to Shreveport, and Matthew had already said he had no interest in going back there. Then the Rebels decided to play a little football and went on a winning streak. I was sitting at Bobby and Jennifer Smith’s when the clock ran down on the Ole Miss vs. Auburn game. That left the Rebels on the winning end of the game and mom with the realization that we might be going to a better bowl game this year, and one closer to New Year’s Day.

Normally, that would not be a problem, but I had already begun the planning with Ricky and Wanda Smith for our Jan. 3 Mardi Gras party and things were getting a little more complicated. Not long after that I found out it would most likely be the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and I knew I might have a problem on my hands.

The thought crossed my mind, and several people suggested that perhaps Matthew could either A, skip the bowl game this year or B, go with someone else. Option A was definitely out of the question. Early in the season he had already told me that going to the bowl game was all he wanted for his Christmas present, and what’s a Santa to do?

Now, option B might work. After all, two of his favorite Rebel families in the world would be going &045;&045; Terry and Paula Estes and Alton, Beverly and Bethany Ogden &045;&045; and he could hang with either of them. But then he made it clear that he wanted me to go, since we had spent the whole season together. Enduring long late night trips on Friday nights after Cathedral games, a few very close nail-biter wins and a new freshman sister/daughter had brought my son and I closer than I had realized.

So with that, I made the plans. My friends Maria and Janet agreed to take off and help with the party decorating. Ricky and Wanda agreed that they wouldn’t disown me for not returning until late the night before the party. And Emily planned on spending New Year’s Eve with her second family, the Kirkwoods.

Whatever happens between my son and I from here on out &045;&045; and I know that there will be differences in opinions and the occasional testing of the rules &045;&045; I will always have our trip to Dallas to look back on. We had a wonderful time. From the moment we pulled up to the hotel &045;&045; which by the way, was filled with Rebel fans and the team &045;&045; to the last Hoddy Toddy cheer at the Cotton Bowl, it couldn’t have been any better.

And so I learned another lesson in parenting. It’s not just girls who can grow up and become their mothers’ friends, but sons have that special ability also. And my son taught me that lesson last week.