Happy Birthday, Mikey!

It's been a big week for you, my Mikey. On Tuesday, you became a KINDERGARTENER, and today, you became a five-year-old!! While you're doing a great job of growing us in the fine art of parenting boys, you're also growing and maturing... learning and doing so much these days! We love you, and we're so thankful that God blessed us with you on this very special day.

Mikey, you may not understand yet all that your birthday means to us. You might not understand yet, when you joyfully announce to people that your "'boifday' is September 11th!" why they smile, but have a flash of sadness cross their face or tears come to their eyes. You see, on September 11th, four years before you were born, a very sad thing happened in the United States of America. Much was destroyed that day and many lives were lost, and those of us that remember that day will always remember it with sadness.

But where much was lost, much was also born on that day... For a time, people remembered that life was bigger than what their day held. They hugged and cried with strangers and people looked beyond their shopping needs to encourage the person behind them in their grocery line. Your daddy, who was dating your mommy at the time, was struck by how short and unpredictable life is and on that day started thinking it might be time to ask your mommy to be his wife!

People recognized their mortality and remembered their need for God... for some, this change was fleeting. For others, life was transformed for all of eternity.

So you see, this is what people remember when they hear you say your birthday. This is what brought tears to my eyes those wee hours of the morning when the nurse announced your birth date and time. And this hope, life, and joy that was born on that day in so many people was in some ways symbolized to us when you were born five years ago today. Maybe, in some way that is bigger than my understanding, this is the reason that you were ten days late and quite large when you finally decided to make your appearance!!

But for now, our sweet, joyful, exuberant five-year-old, I hope that you experience all of the joy a boy can on his birthday... you have so much time to understand the weightier aspects of life later. We love you and thank God for you, praying your joy and hope will be found in Him!

Happy, happy birthday, Mikey!!