At Nine

Nine years ago today we were at the beginning. At some point I blinked, and here we are today, nine years later, celebrating your birthday.

I know that you are more interested in birthday cake and presents, but your birthday is so much more than that to your Dad and I. For us, today is the day that we look back and wonder where the time went, how you got so big.

We spend today amazed at how lucky we are that we have you, grateful that it was you that came into our lives nine years ago, changing them forever in the process.

As your mom, I couldn't feel more lucky. Having a child is like rolling the dice – you simply don't know what you are going to get. We got lucky with your brother, and there was no guarantee we would have the same luck with you. But we did – you are more than we ever hoped for, more than we ever thought was possible.

You completed a family I never knew was unfinished. With you we are a whole family – you are our glue, my boy, you hold us together. You are the final puzzle piece, the one that finishes the picture and makes it right. To never have had you would have been a mistake, for without you, I never would have been complete.

Your smile really does light up the room and your laugh is contagious. But that is only the surface of how wonderful you are. The truth is that you are a born leader, leading, as all good leaders do, by example. You are more than the body that contains you, your spirit reaching into this world and bringing such delight.

As my youngest man-in-training, you reap the benefits of a brother than went first. You have a sense of self that we can all learn from, walking through this world with confidence and strength. You are a good friend, a great brother, and a son beyond all expectation.

Your Dad and I love you more than the world. And you know I love you more than all the drops of water in all the oceans in this world and all others. We wish that we were with you today, but you are in our thoughts and we will be home soon.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!! We love you!

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