Naya Rivera’s son Josey is growing up so fast.
And the proof is in his father Ryan Dorsey’s latest post in honor of his 10th birthday.
“120 months…521.78 weeks 3,652 days gone by in a flash….,” the Justified actor wrote in a Sept. 27 Instagram post alongside a photo of him and Josey smiling and Josey smiling big for the camera as he held up a throwback picture of himself. “Our sweet baby boy @joseydorsey is 10.”
Gushing about his son’s qualities, Ryan, 42, added, “I cannot believe how fast you’ve become the strong, curious, funny, bright and intelligent 10 year old that you are today. I love you more than all the stars in the galaxy. I’m so proud to be your Dad, my guy!!"
Alongside the heartwarming message, Ryan shared a glimpse of Josey’s life, including time with friends, holding up a snake for the camera and fixing his tie in the mirror. Putting their sweet father-son bond on display, Ryan ended the carousel with videos of him and Josey playfully wrestling and singing along to John Denver’s “Country Roads, Take Me Home.”
Ryan—who was married to Naya from 2014-2018—has raised as Josey since the Glee’s star’s tragic death at the age of 33, following a July 2020 accident while she and Josey were boating.
Since, the Big Sky actor has spoken about how he is keeping Naya’s memory alive for Josey. And one of those ways is through music as Josey has taken up piano lessons.
"I said, 'Your mom would definitely have you playing,'” Ryan said during an interview on Good Morning America in February, “and I said, 'She’s always watching you.'"
Ryan is also making sure that Josey—who was with his mom at the time of her death—has positive memories of his mother and a clear vision of the legacy she left behind.
"I’m grateful that he has memories of his mom still," the Yellowstone alum added. "And luckily, his mother was on television, so she’s gonna live [on] forever."