They say it's your birthday

Our pride and joy. Happy birthday, big guy!

AUBURN, Maine - He turned 15 today and I am proud to say Anthony has surpassed me in nearly every way when I was his age.

He is wiser and smarter  — and we are not the least bit envious of him.  He is not a follower and marches to his own drum. He thrives on our unconditional love, and he  still doesn't mind having us around, although that will soon change.

He is growing up in central Maine and I was raised in the Greater Boston area, and they are worlds apart when it comes to the fast pace of life.

We both like to think we had something to do with Anthony's solid upbringing, and we don't take each other for granted. But we never take all the credit for his performance in the classroom and his wise choices when it comes to friends and doing the right thing. He has made those decisions on his own, but he also realizes we are his first phone call when life goes awry.

I have often told him this: 

"I am not your friend. I am your father, and I am better than any friend you will ever have. I am not cool and I will always hate your music because I am older. When it comes to sex, drugs and rock-and-roll, we are open 24 hours a day and the coffee is free — so come on in and talk to us."

If you are any kind of a parent, you want your one-and-only son to excel in this unstable world. We have always put his needs and interests first — and that is the only way it works in this please-and-thank-you family.

If you are an adult who doesn't share this philosophy about nurturing children, then do us all a favor and don't bring a kid into this world. Society doesn't need another horror story about a neglected child whose parents put themselves first.

That's why parenting is the best job in the world and why I enjoy holding the job title of "dad." But this family could not function without dear-old mom - Terri - who is the go-to person when it comes to compassion and understanding. 

Anthony is smart, but I have cautioned him about arrogance and indifference. He understands life is fickle and has a way of knocking you down no matter how many degrees you have earned in this brief lifetime.

He has been warned about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, knowing I have a zero tolerance for narcotics or the town drunk. He is aware that we have never used drugs and drink very little. I was a bartender for years, and I can tell you from experience there is no good drunk.

Anthony now stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 160 pounds. He is a damn monster who consumes milk by the gallon. I can no longer offer him one hamburger when we cook on the grill. He is good for two or three burgers.

He is not sports fanatic, but he knows nearly every warship since the 1700s. He is a writer, poet and history fanatic who doesn't mind watching "All The President's Men" for the umpteenth time with his dad. He is a skier and swimmer who loves hiking with his parents. In the summer, Maine's pristine's beaches and lakes are his playground. In the winter, he heads to the mountains with his skis.

He campaigned for President Obama when he was 12 years old, speaking with angry voters over the phone

He is heading for the high school, and I worry about him even though he is smarter than his old man.  I always worry about him and my wife. You do that when you are fortunate to be a member of a loving family.

I am apprehensive about the future, but I am looking forward to the next 15 years of my son's life — and I am sure my wife feels the same.

Happy birthday, son! You are a fine young man.