I know why animals eat their young...

My son is a senior at Texas State University in San Marcos. Even though he is only an hour away, we don't see him as often as we would like to.

I was thrilled to have him home for Thanksgiving last week. A great big hug. Let me look at you, son!

"Well, it was no shave November," he told me.

I'm good with that. (If I really wanted to embarrass my kids, I would say, "I'm jiggy wid it". I'm never sure exactly what that means, but it sets them into near seizure each time the words leave my mouth. So I say it in their presence. Often.)

Anyhoo. After the hug, young son backs off and looks at me. And waits. And waits a beat longer. I am not very tall and I am about eye level to his neck.

See the neck? Oh, look, look. See the neck.

My immediate reaction? Back away. Say nothing.

(Inside my head? I am thinking, "You will NEVER be able to conceal that during any interview, son." Always the sensible Mom.)

He looks disappointed. "Don't you want to see it, Mom?"

Nope. Not now. Not never. Not no how.

That body was born of my body with no ink on it. I'm not interested in seeing the ink. (And a snake wrapping around a medicine box? Inside my head? I am thinking, "Maybe it is because I would not let him wear clothes with skulls, dragons and snakes when I was purchasing his clothes.")

He cracks first. It is a fake, pressed on the night before to see what how I would react.

Well. I did NOT react.

Twenty plus several years of motherhood have taught me a few things. Not the least of which is to take a deep breath, smile and continue on. It drives the young crazy.

Score one for parenthood.