Day 9: Gratitude Journal, Happy Birthday sweet son #2

Today I am grateful for son #2, on the day that I gave birth to him. I heard someone say once, that we should all call our mothers on our birthday because it's as much their day as ours.Drew feels strongly about family, birthdays and milestones. To him, to be there for one another is showing to love each other.

To touch, punch, hug or kick a ball with you also means he loves you.

Because of him, I have learned what it means to have a child who needs and wants so little. His whole life, he's accepted hand-me-downs from his brother: shoes, shirts, even realized the other day he was wearing his brother's underwear! Now that is a kid that just does not care about material things; he never has.

I've learned about giving and quality time from him. Toys or stuff simply don't matter to him. Consequently, he'd rather ask for money to be raised for his Nana instead of birthday gifts, and he'd rather play football outside with friends than legos inside alone.

I have learned resilience. He has lived with a benign tumor in his arm since birth and has been to so many doctors' visits that I've lost count. Although he is often conscious of it, his childlike optimism doesn't see many limitations as an adult would. 

He has shown me how to be with other kids who are "special" like him- "just act like normal, Mom."

God gave me boys for a reason, and I'm certain this little boy is why I am here in this life. He has given me sweet perspective on what it means to live in the moment, to be present and let go. He reminds me to get off the computer and to play and to not watch the clock so rigidly.

Thank you, darling for your hilarious sense of humor, your obsession with Star Wars and for making me smile, laugh and beam with delight at every single new phase that comes our way.

I adore you -- even when you try to get me to say you're THE #1 son... or that you love me more... that's just not possible. Your momma will always love you more. Always.

Happy birthday to you, sweet one.