Birthday Letters: Ten

Dear Satchel,

You have officially made your 10th ride around the sun!  What a marvelous decade it has been!

You have entered the age of funny face photos, wacky dance antics and seemingly limitless albeit sometimes obnoxious sound effects.  May you always believe that the endless supply of gumballs is because of whimsical parenting, and not merely a tactic to keep your mouth busy blowing bubbles.

This school year graced you with two of your favorite teachers, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Byrum and as such we have watched you grow.   You began the year struggling to "find your place" as you put it and have ended the year having established a sense of connection.  You have learned the art of self expression through writing stories, fancy power point presentations and incredible lego creations. 

You remain steadfast in your generosity, often insisting that you use your allowance to buy your friends a treat at from the ice cream truck.




You are a very empathetic boy and I can't help but reflect on the time when you asked me for money for a spontaneous purchase of pokemon cards - and - I gave you my last five dollars.  That afternoon you handed me a five dollar bill that you removed from your savings jar.   

You said, "I want to pay you back because I get paid for the chores I do and you don't and you gave up your job to be my mom and moms do a lot but they don't get paid".


We talked about how the rewards of motherhood are treasures greater than money.  I slipped the money back into your jar, but that night I found it back on my pillow with a note.  I decided to honor your wish and keep it.  I will KEEP it, not spend it and frame the note with the bill to remember your thoughtfulness, to remember our many deep conversations about life and love, to remember that moment.

We do have our moments, don't we?!?!  Moments of great joy and wonder - like watching the meteor shower, or that sunset picnic in the mountains where we found ourselves surrounded by fireflies and one wayward bear.  Of course there are moments far less stellar - like the one for which you do a hilarious impersonation of me getting frustrated with you  (after having to repeat myself for the eleventeenth time ) and how we both laugh ourselves breathless over it.  Thank you for teaching me to laugh at myself.  Thank you for your special blend of grace.   We make mistakes and we make amends and this is all a part of our humanness.  And these are just some of the lessons that you teach me year after year.  Thank you for the reciprocal gift of unconditional love and for the many ways you show it. 

On this anniversary of your birth, know that you are and always will be the greatest treasure of my entire life.  I celebrate you!

 (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

Happy 10th ride around the sun, Satchel.
Thank you for being my son.

All my love,
Mama

(Posted at the time of your birth)