Happy Birthday to My Son on His 7th Birthday

I have been struggling to write this year’s birthday letter and it has nothing to do with Grayson but the time we’re living in. For the past few years we have been living in a pandemic and civil unrest. It’s been depressing at times. We’ve had lockdowns and virus after virus that canceled many of our plans. And though I refused to let it cancel Grayson’s 7th birthday celebrations, it did change the way we celebrated it.

Dear Grayson on Your 7th Birthday

Today you woke up early filled to the brim with excitement that today was your 7th birthday. I tried to get you upset and told you I forgot to buy you a cake to which you responded, “we can just put candles on the pizza”. Then in a second attempt I said, “I forgot to buy those too”. But you smiled and said, “No worries we have candles in the drawer”. You stayed positive…you ALWAYS stay positive. It’s a gift I hope you never outgrow. The world needs a little of your light especially in times like the ones we are living in when the world feels dim and at times very dark.

For the record, I didn’t forget your birthday. After work I picked up your cake and while Livi distracted you I blew up 60 balloons for a balloon garland like never before. It would be just us but I knew you would still appreciate the gesture. I hoped this virus would be behind us but now in addition to Covid there’s Delta and Omicron. If only Optimus Prime was here to send them all back to where they came from…we’d be partying at a trampoline park with friends and not at home with just us. But enough of that I want to love on you for a bit.

The Past Year

This has been a year of growing up! You are more than half my size now and though you are still skinny you are definitely heavier. I guess we can contribute that to the extra food you’ve been eating. You can now read and you love bringing home library books from school. We often read them together as you still struggle with some words but I have no doubt that you will be reading them on your own before your 8th birthday.

You continue to be an exceptionally bright child. Your math skills are way better than your reading. Honestly, most people tend to be stronger in one over the other. For you math comes easy but as a natural problem solver that doesn’t surprise me.  You love numbers and although you still say you want to be a doctor when you grow up, it wouldn’t shock me if you became an engineer. In addition to numbers you also like figuring out how things work and building things like dinosaurs for Teigan’s Christmas gift. By the way she loves those dinosaurs. Engineer just seems like it would be right up your ally. But no matter what career path you choose know that I will support you. It’s your life so choose the career that makes YOU happy!

You are a huge Transformers fan and since I am too we’ve binge watch several seasons while on school break. I love those moments with you. At the bus stop we sometimes imagine trucks transforming and which side would they be on and which one would be our partner/ride. It’s our little thing and I treasure it more than you know. I know Optimus Prime is your favorite but Bumblebee is mine. In many ways Bumblebee reminds me a lot of you. He is loyal, loving and he finds ways to communicate effectively – just like you.

You Struggle – We All Do!

For a long time and even every now and again you say that you “can’t” read. You will shy away and barely put effort into trying. But when I gently push you and let you struggle through it, you light up with the realization that you CAN read. Not everything will be easy and we may make mistakes along the way. Part of life (and growing up) is learning that mistakes aren’t always bad. Sometimes the single greatest accomplishment occurs after a thousand failed attempts. I hope you continue to try even long after I am gone. That you don’t accept failure as fatal and always have the courage to try again. And although accomplishments are great, who you are is more important.

Who You Are Matters

It’s who you are as a person that matters. You told your first lie to me and it hurt my heart. I tried to explain that I wasn’t upset that you secretly ate the snacks for school but the lie itself. We can always buy more snacks but we can never buy trust. Your word is a defining characteristic. It is the one thing you want people to be able to rely on and you want it to be positive. It was a mistake (we all make mistakes, even me) and now all that is left to do is learn from it and move on.

Grayson, you have a big heart, you make us laugh and you are an awesome big/little brother. You continue to attract people to you with your vibrant personality. You are inclusive in your friendships regardless of gender and you have a desire to always help.  Bud, if you didn’t know it – you are a true gift!

God gave you to us and I want you to know that you are never alone in this world. You are loved by me, daddy, Livi and Teigan. Most importantly you have a purpose in this life. The adventure is living in it! Happy 7th Birthday Grayson!

Love you to the moon & back,

XOXO

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Did you like this letter to my son on his 7th birthday? I have posted letters to my son for the past few years. It was a habit I started long ago when I was [mis]diagnosed with a disease that would deteriorate my way of life. Then after being informed I was misdiagnosed, I just kept doing it year after year for all my kids. I unfortunately lost a few of them in our moves and have resorted to posting them on my blog for preservation. I hope they inspire you to write birthday letters to your kids. Here’s two other birthday letters to my son on his 5th and 6th birthday:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so important to fill our kids’ buckets with an overflowing amount of love and affirmations. That way when the world pokes holes in their buckets they are never emptied from what we poured into them. Birthday letters are just one of many ways you can do that.