Letters to our Children | March, 2014

Each month I am participating in a blog circle with a group of extremely talented photographers and we are sharing our letters to our children.  See the bottom of this entry for a link to the next photographer in this circle.

Silas,

You are such a delight to me!  An endless delight!  There are so many details I hope and pray I will always remember.  The way you form your words (That lisp!  I cherish it so!), your thoughts, your fears, your courage.  This past Sunday we were on our way to church, just the two of us (Daddy and Noah were sick).  I love those moments – when it’s, “Just you and me, Mommy… just you and me.”  

While we were flying down the road and enjoying the Sunday morning quiet, you asked me one of your, “What if?” questions that always pause my hurried thoughts and make me look deeper… “Mommy… if a lady is crossing the road and she drops three babies out of her baby carriage, would it be a good thing for me to rescue the babies?”  I asked, “What do you think?”  You said, “It would be good, but I could get hit by a car.  You need to know that, Mommy.”  It’s moments like that when my heart seizes a little bit – has a little hiccup of fear and thoughts of, “Don’t even speak of such things!”  But right on the heels of that freezing fear is pride… pride that, even at five years old, you are dreaming of brave things, of being a rescuer, a soldier, a champion of the weak, a lover of goodness and right.  After all, this is what your daddy and I have taught you, and you have always, always had the heart of a hero.  We went on to talk about the “what if’s” . . . this led to talks of Jesus and Heaven and how nothing can snatch you out of His mighty hands.  And you spoke with beautiful simplicity.  You said, “It’s okay, Mommy.  I just wouldn’t be here anymore.  I’d be with Him.”  And we discussed Jesus’ love for the weak and helpless, His special tenderness toward fragility and frailty, and how when you love Him, you can’t help but love “the least of these.”  It was a lot to talk about on our little ride to church, but car rides and other such simple moments in life are meant for glimpses of eternity.  I hope you always have a heart for “the least of these!”  That is my prayer!  . . . and then I told you that you’re not allowed to help any babies in the road until you’re at least 18 because you have far too much growing to do before then.  I am your Mommy after all.  🙂  

Today I took you outside to get some photos of you, my brave boy.  You climbed “Our Tree,” you scraped your hand, I kissed it and got you a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bandaid, and we played.  Dixie climbed the tree with you, Noah comforted you when you cried, I made you laugh again.  You are surrounded by love, just as you should be.  And tonight when I was tucking you in bed, you grabbed me around my neck and whispered, “Mommy, you’re a beautiful fairy princess.  And you’re the only one in the world.  Stay with me forever.”  Yes, I think I’ll keep you.  

Love you,

Mommy

For more from our blog circle, see the wonderfully talented photographer, Allison Moore’s letter on her blog, and then continue on the circle to enjoy the hearts of these other dear photographers and moms.