My wishes for my son on his second birthday

How has it possibly already been two years since the sunshine of my life entered our world? I know everyone tells you it flies by, soak up every minute!, they grow up way too fast. But, man, you really don’t understand the devastatingly fleeting, bittersweet gift of time fully until you’re a parent. And that’s why I penned this heartfelt message of wishes for my son on his second birthday.

Until you have a baby that seems to grow bigger every second in front of your very eyes.

Until you have a toddler who learns something new each hour, and all of the sudden starts to turn from precious baby to little boy.

We’ve known this little soul for just two years, and, yet, I feel like he’s been with me my whole lifetime. When I think of all of my happiest moments in life that came before him, our wedding day, our honeymoon, memories starting our business, it’s crazy but I feel like he was always right there with us. Even though he wasn’t born yet! It’s the strangest feeling and phenomenon and I can’t quite explain it. But I don’t feel like there was ever a time before him and after him, he was always a part of us.

So as my sweet Harrison turns two this weekend, I wanted to write down some of my wishes for him, to reflect on where we are today and where I hope this beautiful life takes him.

My wishes for my son Harrison on his second birthday:

Harrison, you are two years old now and you are already everything I have ever dreamed of in a son. Sweet, gentle-natured, observant and kind… yet headstrong and exceptionally determined in everything you do. My word I felt emanated from you from the moment you were born was just that, determined. I could feel it in you from the very start. And that determination, that drive, has only grown since, and will only grow from here. I can’t wait to see what magic you create with it. 

I hope you never stop learning.

Whether it’s the abc’s, which you mastered at just 22 months old, hitting a baseball (your accuracy is crazy), or spelling words (B-A-L-L BALL!), you are constantly impressing us with your propensity to acquire (and master!) new skills & I hope you take that curiosity with you for a lifetime.

I hope you continue to love everything, everyone, fully, and with everything you have.

I hope you live a life filled with love, joy, positivity and celebration. The world may not show you the same love back every time (like that time you went in for one of your friendly bear hugs and got bit on the cheek by a toddler you just met 🤪) but I promise you good things will happen if you keep giving your warmth the world unabashedly.

I hope ‘more’ or ‘mo’ as you put it so adorably, is always one of your favorite words.

Keep wanting more, asking for more, striving for more. It’s who you are. It’s who you’ve always been.

I hope you continue to laugh at yourself when you fall down, but that you learn to not cry every time you miss a basketball shot.

I hope that you will always have gratitude.

You have a loving home, an incredible village, and you have already visited more countries in your first 2 years of life than most do in an entire lifetime. You are blessed with so much. Remember that.

Please have good manners.

Always. Open doors.  Offer hands. Take your hat off at the table. You are a southern gentleman, after all.

I hope you know your mama will always be your number one fan.

There is no love as pure, unconditional, and strong as the love I have for you, forever. As you grow up, take wrong turns, navigate challenges, and make mistakes, I promise to love you, and help guide you, through it all. 

I know you will be the best big brother, and will be a protector, a guide, and a lifelong friend to your baby sister or brother.

I wish for you to always remember life is about trade offs.

When something doesn’t go your way, it’s because something better is coming. Never forget that.

I hope you take after your father and always have a steadfast confidence met with humility.

I hope that while you focus on the future, you also remember what you’ve been through.

That so many miracles happened so that you could be here today. And that you almost weren’t. Never forget to take advantage of every day of this gift of a life you’ve been given.

Always know how loved you are.

Watching you grow up is your dad’s and my biggest dream, coming true, right in front of our eyes, every day. We love you so so much.

and, above all else, I hope you take a lesson from your toddler self with you for life – Never, EVER, stop having a “ball”.

 

 

 

We love you, H!!!!!!