I hope that mommy and daddy can make this a better year for you than last year. I hope that we can do many more things together as a family and that you sleep easier in this your fifth year on earth. No more monsters, no more waking and searching for daddy, no more peeing the bed. I hope mommy and daddy can help you put those childhood ordeals behind you...
And now that you're five, I hope you will begin to understand yourself even better than before. I hope you will consider the things you like, but also the things you don't and sometimes pause to reconsider. (I will always be there to answer your questions or to listen to whatever you have to say about these things.) I hope you meet awesome new friends that you can talk with, too, and that together you tackle mountains and jungle gyms, walk down alleys and roll down grassy hills getting to know the world with your five-year old flesh and bones. And also, I hope you continue to explore new activities and expressions of yourself so you never feel boxed in or limited by how other people see you, even mommy and daddy. I hope you keep trying things, even if you're not good at them at first, like swimming and Bakugan. May your fifth year under this sun be one of bold adventure!
You amaze me every day, son. I often forget to tell you so. It's when you're asleep or distant though that the realization usually hits me. Here he is: my selfless aspiration, my best intent borne true, my moral ground. I love you, Eric. Happy Birthday!
