To My Almost 10 Year Old

 Owen. I really like you at almost 10 years old.

You are one of the funniest people I know. You slide your quiet sarcasm and quick wit into conversations and leave me laughing every day. You can be wild and crazy with your friends but also treasure quiet time at home. You ask me every day to play football with you because I am the best quarterback in the county.

You are one of the most talented people I know. You can do anything you set your mind to. Tennis, baseball, basketball, golf...Your coaches always comment on your skill, coordination, and humble attitude. Or how about running 10 miles with your dad in honor of your tenth birthday? Yes, you did that too. 10 MILES. Buddy, you know that's not normal, right? And yet you acted like it was no big deal. That's you - hit a home run, make a crazy infield play, drive a golf ball 155 yards, go on a 10 mile run - and then walk off like nothing even happened.

You are one of the deepest people I know. You have a philosophical mind and a tender heart. You read poetry and write songs. You love to read about real stories - athletes, missionaries, historical leaders. I treasure your questions because I know they always come with much thought behind them.

You are one of the most sincere people I know. You are who you are and you don't pretend to be anyone but you. You love fishing and you hate watching sad movies. You make friends with old guys at sporting events. You wear a baseball jersey every day and you love picking which radio channel to listen to in the van.

Bud, you are a joy. I love watching you grow up and pray every day for you to be a man after God's own heart, strong and courageous and wise. I love watching you become who you are.

Happy birthday, my sweet almost 10 year old!

To My Almost 15 Year Old

Claire-bear, 15 seems too old and at the same time, just right.

What a year it has been for you. You've always been diligent, and your diligence paid off in a big way when you were chosen to receive a scholarship to train at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain, this past September. The thing that I savored the most was that all the coaches who worked with you saw, beyond even your talent and skill in tennis, a heart that exemplified the character they were trying to promote: effort, humility, respect, intensity, and discipline.

I thought maybe a trip to Spain would satisfy your heart, but instead I believe it lit a fire. You want to travel the world, to see and taste and experience the fulness of every moment. You love having a purpose, a goal, and throwing yourself into it with everything you have. You are courageous and bold and always up for an adventure, and I'm afraid you are going to leave me before I am ready for it.

Car conversations with you are my favorite. You are a good listener and full of wisdom. I love hearing your perspective on all matters. I love seeing your faith grow, watching you seek the Lord and His will for your life, hearing you wrestle through issues, watching you make thoughtful decisions.

You are a quiet leader, a loyal friend, a non-quitter. You broke your foot last December and still played three basketball games before we finally realized it was actually broken. You had mono this summer and still led your team to win the state junior team tennis championship before we realized that it was actually mono. I don't really know anyone else like you.

I know these next few years are going to fly by, but I am so deeply grateful for a front-seat view to watch you becoming who you are. Keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Keep trusting Him and acknowledging Him in all your ways. 

Happy birthday, my sweet almost-fifteen-year-old!!!

 

To My 12 Year and 1 Day Old

 AK, I hope you will forgive me for being two days late with your "birthday eve" letter for the first time ever. I think you will, because the reason I was late was because we were off skiing and hiking and horseback riding and splashing in creeks. In fact, I can't think of a more perfect way to celebrate your 12th birthday.

A weekend full of fun and adventure was exactly right, because you are all about fun and adventure. You are motivated by fun, and you bring fun with you wherever you go. I teach your grammar class at school and it is hopeless to try to keep a straight "teacher" face when you crack the most off the wall jokes. I love talking with you in different accents in the car. You love making people laugh, and you are good at it.

You have mad skills when it comes to creating anything out of anything. I am terrible at planning things like Halloween costumes or Valentine's boxes for school, but it's fine because you can take a cardboard box and make a vending machine costume complete with snacks to share with friends, or a human size tree complete with a hole in the trunk to deposit Valentines. Your fingers move faster than I can even follow with my eyes when you are crocheting, and you can turn a ball of yarn into a small woodland creature before I even realize you are working on a new project. You are a night owl and stay up later than me, dreaming of new things to create.

You love acting and soccer and piano. You have rhythm in your bones and have played percussion twice now in front of a crowd, once with me at the widows' banquet at our church, and once with the band at youth group.

You are most at home when you are helping. You wear your feelings on your sleeve. You love all animals, especially dogs and horses and axolotls (???), and they love you too. Well, I don't know about axolotls, but definitely horses and dogs love you. You are beautiful and fun and precocious and deeper than people might realize. You are growing in every way. You are one of the best gifts I have ever been given.

I see the image of God in you - in your joy and laughter, in your skill and creativity, in the way you help others, in your music and emotions. My prayer for you on your 12th birthday is that you would live in all the blessings of one who knows, loves, and fears the Lord, and that you would be fully convinced of who you are and whose you are.

Happy birthday, my sweet 12-year-and-1-day-old!!!