A Letter to My Make-A-Wish Kid

Dear Son,

I am staring at you, taking in the image that is right in front of me. I wish so badly to permanently freeze time. I never want to forget THIS moment – none of it. If only that was possible. As the years pass the image may fade from my memory, but my heart will always remember how I felt when I looked at you, my Make-A-Wish kid.

The profile of your face, the sunlight shading half of you – revealing the side closest to me. Your little button nose, the one I used to stare at when you were first born. Noses and ears have always amazed me… how God makes those intricate curves of skin is a miracle all in its own.

Your lips, your adorable bubble of a bottom lip – the one you clearly inherited from me. The way you tighten your lips and make a sad pouty face when you are mad – it always makes me smile – just a little.

Today your face is beaming though, there is no sadness to be found in your sparkling blue eyes. There is happiness, love and oh so much life. These steel blue eyes pierce through my soul.

How would you feel if your kid had a #MakeAWish granted? Thank you @MakeAWishSFla Click To Tweet

Today, and forever (I hope), we are far away from hurt, memories of pain and sadness. We are celebrating life, spending time together as a family and making memories of happiness and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

You catch me staring at you. Oops! You turn and look at me with a mischievous smile. “What, mama? What’s wrong?” “Nothing, dear, nothing is wrong, everything is right!”

I don’t want to think about the reasons that we were granted this gift. The endless days and nights, now seem like an eternity ago – a different life time – yet one that shaped us as a family, as individuals. It molded me into the mother and the person I am today.

The “why” doesn’t matter – the only thing that matters is that we are here as a family… and just like that a song starts playing in my head… on repeat! “Everything is awesome. Everything’s cool when you’re part of a team! Everything is awesome!”

and it is. Everything IS awesome!

The plane hits a turbulent patch and I instinctively reach my arm across you – making sure that you are safe. You smile at me, with a twinkle in your eyes so bright that even your freckles glow. “I am OK, mama, you can let go now!”

I return the smile and oblige, pulling my arm back, as I think to myself “fat chance kid, I am never letting go of you – or this moment!”

And that was only a few hours into your Make a Wish trip. The five days of awesomeness that everyone in our family had looked forward to for months.

Everything IS awesome!

The woman proud of and grateful for being your mama.

Read part of our background story: “Be Where You Are” The Words That Changed Everything.