Living Outside The Lines: Woobie’s Getting Married

Once his siblings arrived, our Woobie became their Bubba, but to his parents, even though the name isn’t used in public, he always and forever will be Woobie…

Becky J Miller | Exclusive to Corridor News

On September 20, 1991, Stephen Michael Miller arrived. For parents who thought themselves unable to conceive, or carry a child to term, his birth was a time of incredible joy. His arrival filled a void they’d feared would forever remain empty.

How he arrived at the nickname Woobie, I couldn’t say, but it stuck throughout most of his early childhood. Once his siblings arrived, our Woobie became their Bubba, but to his parents, even though the name isn’t used in public, he always and forever will be Woobie.

Woobie, by definition was an adorable, slightly chubby, green eyed, towhead with curls, who sucked his thumb and carried a satin lined Mickey Mouse blanket with him everywhere. He loved Barney, Superman, 101 Dalmatians, apple juice, his cousin Amanda and reciting Dr. Seuss’ “Go Dog Go.”

Virtually every Momma believes her child is a genius, destined for greatness. Stephen’s momma was no exception. She loved her son’s endless quest for knowledge. He reminded her of Number 5 from the 1986 movie Short Circuit with Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenburg, “Need More Input.”

This was the child, who upon receiving a board game or jigsaw puzzle for Christmas would look at the box and declare, “It says this item is intended for children ages ten and up, I’m only eight and cannot participate.”

As they usually do, the growing up years seemed to pass in fast forward. Before we knew it Woobie was a teenager, working as a lifeguard at Schlitterbahn, and borrowing the car for prom.

The college years were rough for all of us. As the boy became a man, away from the security of home, and tasting a bit more freedom, boundaries and values were sorely tested. Like all praying Mommas, this one knew that with patience and time her Woobie would resurface, and he did, bringing with him a young woman to meet the family.

Parents doing life with eyes wide open realize that any boyfriend/girlfriend brought home to meet the parents could potentially be part of their forever, and should welcome these individuals warmly. From our first meeting with Leslie we worked to ensure she always felt included.

Prior to their engagement, Leslie joined us for Christmases and birthday dinners. She’s even run a 5K with us, met for dinner without Stephen, and survived a six-hour round trip drive, with all five Miller’s, to a Texas Rangers baseball game.

Woobie tends to be somewhat anti-establishment, his aversion to all things conservative and traditional includes marriage, so imagine my surprise at receiving this text, “How does one find out someone’s ring size without them knowing?” Understanding that peppering grown children with questions often results in their immediate withdrawal from the conversation, I offered several suggestions and patiently waited for him to expound.  Fortunately I did not have to wait long for him to reveal his plans to propose.

One morning, not too long afterwards his father and I awoke to another text message. This message included a picture of Leslie wearing a dainty ring with the words, “She said yes.”

Woobie is all grown up and getting married, his father and I could not be happier.

Until Next Time,
Becky J. Miller
“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.