To my sweet, sweet boy,
Five years ago today I received the most precious gift I could ever imagine, a beautiful baby boy.
The love I felt was overwhelming, instantaneous and everlasting. There is no bond stronger than the one between mother and child. I have been so blessed to be chosen as your mother and could never comprehend how much YOU would teach ME.
Your spirit is kind, your conscious your guide, and you brighten my day with your smile and your hugs. Oh, your hugs. You give great hugs. And kisses, you give great kisses too. When you read this, you should pause here and give me a couple.
Your Nana told me once, she thought you were a Nurturer. I believe that is one of the best ways I can think of to describe you. You care for every living thing, you feel with all your heart and you will put yourself in harm’s way to protect anything you hold dear. This includes keeping an ever watchful eye on your baby brother and sister, conserving resources, ensuring your Mommy & Daddy remember to recycle, to feeling a tremendous amount of guilt when you feel like you have done something wrong.
From the time you were old enough to walk, I would often find you sitting in a corner or perched on a stair punishing yourself for something you felt you had done wrong. Whether or not a wrong had actually been committed. I pray that you never lose sight of your natural sense of what is wrong and right. That you always stay true to this internal moral compass you possess, this is one of many special gifts you have been given.
You are beautiful, inside and out. And smart as you can be. You can put letters together to make words, but you are too shy yet to reveal all that you know. You are not a show off, but you do love attention. Thankfully, you strive on the positive kind.
Your favorite things are dragons, horses – race horses to be exact, race cars, rock and roll, dancing, playing sports. Have I mentioned you can run like the wind blows? No really, you can. You have been able to out run me for a few years already, which when you get older you will realize is sort of embarrassing for me to type here. I put you in a peewee soccer class when you were 3, you would practice with the other kids for an hour and then run a mile around the track before we went home. Just to burn off some energy. You have so much energy. Don’t ever stop running and hold tight to that energy my dear, don’t you lose one ounce of it.
I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but before you were born, I sent a lady your name and she sent me a description of what she thought you would be like as a kid. She told me, you would be a curly haired boy who loved his mother with all his might and that you would love to help in the kitchen, particularly with foods involving chocolate. You might not see your curls now, but when you were younger you gave goldilocks a run for her money. You have a certain culinary panache that I just know will take you far and your enthusiasm about my culinary hopes and dreams gives me more strength than you know. You can pretty much cook anything I can at this point. Your homemade pizza dough and (ahem, pumpkin chocolate) muffins are delicious!
Have I mentioned what a great navigator you are? Seriously, at 2 years old you could tell me how to drive to just about anywhere you wanted to go and I’m pretty sure that (heaven forbid) if you ever got lost, you would have no trouble finding your way home. I’d like to think your father & I’s profession may have of had something to do with this, but I’m quite positive they did not. It could have something to do with all the missions you sat as an infant while Mommy was deployed or all the plans you helped make while in my womb (um, that’s another word for belly. well, sort of.), but I think it really has more to do with your incredible power to comprehend. Everything. People, problems, puzzles, emotions, you just have a knack for knowing what’s going on. I love that about you.
I love everything about you and I am so proud to call you my son. I know I tell you everyday but you really are the best kid in the whole wide world. I’m so lucky to get to spend my days with you.
I had a wonderful time helping you turn five today. You did such a great job acting out the part. It’s incredible to watch you growing up, but please do me a favor and don’t do it too fast.
I hope you’re having fun at your very first sleepover with Nana & Papa. I can’t wait to see you first thing in the morning.
P.S. I’ll add pictures to this letter for you tomorrow too 
All my love,
Mom
