A Letter To My Son

Grayson~

I know it's not quite your birthday yet, but I already know that I won't get a chance to do this on the actual day as we will be busy with friends and family who are coming to celebrate YOU! You have been so excited about this birthday and have been talking about it for some time now. It's almost as if you know that a whole new world of fun awaits you when you turn four. I have to tell you that I usually get very sentimental at this time of year and almost dread the fact that my baby boy is getting bigger. But this year is different. This year your excitement must be contagious because I am overwhelmed with pure joy that you are going to be FOUR! FOUR! Can you believe it?

So much has happened in the past year of your life and you have handled it beautifully, Gray. You welcomed your baby sister into our life and did so with such grace that it brings tears to my eyes. I will forever have in my mind the picture of you walking into my hospital room for the first time and asking "Where's my baby?" You have been such a wonderful big brother.

You helped keep mommy and daddy going when we decided to sell our house, and were such a trooper each time we had to drag you out during a showing. You looked at each prospective new house with such excitement and loved running through them, and settled into our final selection with ease.

You tried soccer, tumbling, swimming, and t-ball for the first time and loved them all. Watching the difference in you from your fall soccer league.... ....to the spring session was incredible. It's so amazing to me how much you still change month to month at this age.

You have so much excitement at the prospect of getting older, but at the same time I can also see almost an inner struggle in you as you try to figure out how to act in a more grown-up world. I mentioned Kindergarten to you the other night and you were suddenly very overwhelmed. You looked at me with so much anxiety in your brown eyes and told me that you didn't want to get big. "I just want to stay little forever, Mommy." And oh, honey, how I wish I could make that happen. It's so hard for me to want to let you grow up, hard for me to start letting go and sharing you with the world. But you know what, bug? You're going to be great! And daddy and I are going to be right here cheering you on! We can't wait to see what you take on in the next year, Gray. Thanks for letting us share in this wonderful journey with you! I love you, bug!

All my heart,
Mom