I love that word, kvell. I picked up a lot of Yiddish expressions when I moved from my white-bread hometown in Colorado to NJ. Kvell, for those who don't know it, means swelling up with pride.
My older son, now 26, has had a very tough time learning to cope with life. He's always had trouble coping with life--went through bouts of depression and anxiety as a young teen, wound up in a couple of fairly serious legal scrapes (one of which landed him in a group home for a year). He's EXTREMELY bright but was always socially and emotionally behind. He lived with me for a year while he was attending community college--dean's list one semester, all F's the next. Up until a couple of years ago, he had never held a job longer than three months. He never did manage to get his Associate's degree. He got his certification as an EMT (a job I think he would do very well) but after a halfhearted job search, simply gave up.
So a couple of years ago he got a regular job (with benefits) delivering medical supplies and lab equipment to hospitals. Good job for him, not a lot of socializing, mostly just driving. But he FINALLY discovered that it feels GOOD to work! He liked his bosses, who seemed really happy with his work and with his attitude, and with his problem-solving ability (this was the same kid who couldn't bring himself to call his own bank about a problem with his account five years ago).
He texted me tonight, sending me a photo of the award he was just given by his company at a big banquet for various companies in the healthcare industry. It was for "stewardship," and there was a nice speech for him when it was presented. Then he called me, and he was going on and on about how great it felt to be appreciated. He also got a promotion and a raise.
Now, none of this stuff would be a big deal for a lot of young men--especially one with my son's IQ. But for my kid, it is HUGE. I am so, so proud of him. And I feel like sending a great big thank-you to his boss, who helped him discover the joys of a job well done.
But that wouldn't be cool.
