“On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, “Life will never be the same.” Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.”
Dear Lane, I loved reading “On the Night You Were Born” to you when you were little. On the first page, there is a picture of a baby in a bassinet and to this day, you believe it’s you…along with the footprints in the back of the book. Oh, the innocence, I hope to keep you that way as long as possible. You are eight years old now, I can hardly believe it. You are losing your childish features and turning into a young boy….it’s hard for me to see you grow so fast. Right now you are into Legos, you build some amazing creations… you want to be a Lego designer when you grow up. And of course there are your 100 million Pokemon cards that you can somehow remember each name and know if your brothers took one.
There are probably some things I do that aggravate you…like when I tell you to stop making your high pitched whistle because it hurts my ears, or when I tell you to share your Legos with your brothers….but I tell (unfortunately, many times yell) you these things because I love you so much and want to see you grow into the amazing man that God has destined you to be.
When I yell at you to sit correctly on the couch (because you’ve ruined the cushion), it’s not because I don’t want you to be comfortable, it’s because I want to teach you how to respect things….(especially “mommy’s things”)
On a typical day, I can find you wearing sweat pants and gym shoes with the laces sprawled on the floor….(shoes that were just purchased not even two months ago, but look like they’ve been worn through five marathons). When I yell at you ten million times to tie your shoes, it’s not because I’m trying to be mean or annoy you, but it’s because I don’t want you to trip and fall and get hurt or cause someone else to trip and fall.
When you sneak food and leave the wrapper on the couch (usually stuffed in between the cushions), it aggravates the living daylights out of me (seriously, if I had a dollar for every wrapper I found, I could retire next year). When I tell you to throw your trash away, it’s not because I don’t want to help you out and throw it away for you, but it’s because I don’t want you to be lazy and expect everyone else to do your job for you (a mindset too many in this world have adopted..).
You see, I tell you these things to grow your character, to help shape you into who you will be. Although, I pick on you quite a bit for the stuff you do that drives me crazy….I see the things you do that make me a super proud mom. For instance, I have never had to work with you on your school academics…you are smart, very smart and you work hard. You are a leader. I see you when you play nicely with your brothers and little sister, you have a gentle side to you. I love that you think about them when we are at the store…and you want to buy them things they would like. I love how you are so logical in your thinking and are always trying to figure out how things work and why. I see you when you are brave, like tonight when we had to get your blood drawn for an allergy test…your lip puckered up as they felt for your vein, but you kept your arm still. I can go on and on about the ways you amaze me everyday and I want you to know I will always love and cherish you. You are a gift from God.
I had to bribe you (yes, I bribe my kids too) to wear jeans and a nice shirt for some pictures…and it was totally worth it. You are such a handsome guy!
“For never before in story or rhyme (not even once upon a time) has the world ever known a you, my friend, and it never will, not ever again….Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born.” -On the night you were born, Nancy Tillman
Love, Mom
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