A Letter to my Son on your 4th Birthday

To my son on your 4th Birthday,

You made me a mom. It’s been one of the biggest highlights of my life.

I am a better person because of you. You’ve helped me function better on little sleep, and you’ve helped me realize what’s truly important in life. You’ve helped build my immune system and tested my patience. I am so incredibly thankful for all that you have taught me and will continue to teach me as you grow.

There are no words to adequately describe the amount of love I have for you, and I am so incredibly proud of the person you are and the one that you’re becoming.

I’d by lying if I wasn’t slightly worried about what the future will be like for you, because let’s be honest, we live in scary times. It can be downright terrifying, especially as a parent. All I want to do is shield you from all the bad things in life, but I know I won’t always be able to do that. But, what I can do is encourage you to be a good human being.

My wish for you right now is to enjoy being 4. See the good in people and the world. Believe that good still exists, and be the change you wish to see in the world!

There are a million things I love about you, but today I’m sharing 10 with you:

1. I love that you hug me and tell me how much you love me, completely unprompted. I seriously melt a bit every time you say, “Momma, I love you so much and more than the whole wide world.”
2. I love that you can spend hours playing with your superheros, your legos and trucks without a care in the world. Your imagination astounds me, and I love hearing you converse with your toys and act out a very real enemy attack.
3. I love that you love being outside. You are seriously your father’s son. You love helping with yard work, and if we allowed it, you’d spend the entire day outdoors exploring and playing.
4. I love that you share a passion for history. Whether it’s watching Josh Gates, of Destination Unknown, hunting down mythical beasts or searching for lost treasure with the guys of Oak Island, I love that you’re as fascinated as I am.
5. I love that you’re a goofball. Your humor and things you say are seriously the goofiest. I’m always laughing with you.
6. Even though you don’t always get it right, I love that you’re respectful of others.
7. I love that you still like to cuddle. Thought far and few between, I’m glad you’re not “too cool” to immerse yourself in my arms for a quick nap or just a moment of chill time.
8. I love that you are so helpful. You’re always volunteering to help whether it’s outside helping daddy with yard work or helping grab a toy for your brother.
9. I love that you love art and being creative. Thank goodness for Pinterest because we have an endless amount of arts and crafts that we get to tackle together.
10. I LOVE that you’re an amazing big brother. You don’t treat him any different for being deaf, and you’re protective instinct makes Beck just the luckiest little brother. Thanks for always helping, making your brother laugh and protecting him. I can see and hear how much Beckett loves you.

You’ve been telling me for quite some time that you’re not a baby anymore, and although you’re not a baby,  you’ll always be my baby.

I’m not sure you quite understand it yet, but I hope you know that regardless of your size or age, I’ll always consider you as my baby!

Here are a few thing I hope for your life ahead:

• There will be sadness and hard times, but I hope your life is filled with so much happiness.
• I hope you find someone who loves you just as much as your father and I love you. You deserve so much love now and forever. Bonus points if I also like them.
• I pray that you go to and graduate from college. I don’t care where you go (that’s a lie, I hope you don’t go across the country), or what you major in as long as you invest in yourself and your future.
• I hope you know that you can always talk to me and your father about anything. We’re here for you regardless of the situation.
• I pray that you don’t focus too much on money, but rather be smart about it. We’ll do our best to teach you about this, though we’re still learning as well.
• I hope that you become a respectful human being who respects those around you and are also willing to stand up for others. I pray that you never get bullied or become the bully.
• I pray that you don’t mess up so badly that it negatively alters your path in life. Mistakes are made, but sometimes the consequences far surpass the mistake.
• I pray that you understand the importance of hard work. You have seen this first hand as your father is one of the hardest working individuals. You’re fortunate to have him as a role model.
• I pray that you grow your relationship with the Lord. We have tried to instill faith within you, but we hope you want to grow that more by yourself.
• I pray that you find something that you will love doing when you’re older. It’s so important to love and enjoy the work that you’re doing.

These are the things I love about you and hope for you. I hope you know how much we love you and how proud of you we are. 

Happy 4th Birthday, Braxton!

I love you,

Love, mom