Dear Axton,
This past year was a year of so many changes! We spent the past year traveling not just from state to state, but also to the other side of the world and back. You are an excellent traveler. You kept up with all that we asked of you – and more. You learned to make friends on the road, though it made you sad when we had to say goodbye so soon to those new friends. Lucky for you, you’ve got a built-in best friend. You and Rhenner are exactly what I hoped for the moment I learned you’d be getting a baby brother. Sure, you guys fight but I see beyond that. I see the absolute dying devotion you both have to one another, and it makes my mama heart happy and proud.
You also have the sweetest relationship with your sister. You are soft and tender, gentle and kind. You love teaching her things, and making her laugh when she’s sad. It’s been fun paying you to “babysit” her and watching what you come up with when you’re in charge. She adores you and learns most of what she knows (good and bad) from you and Rhenner.
Axton, you absolutely cannot sit still when you eat. Your butt just will NOT stay put on that chair. I suppose, it’s not just when you eat. Sometimes when we do school work on the couch, I turn around to find you listening to me while standing on your head, your feet in the air. You, my son, are a child meant to MOVE. You were made to move!
I hope you are always on the move. I hope you explore, hike, run, jump, play, tumble, stretch, kick, tag, bounce, roll, and more! All the days of your life. You are athletic, smart, a great reader, and most things come easily to you. I hope you use that skill and talent with a softness and a kindness – and not let it get to your head. I hope you stay humble, while still constantly challenging yourself to be better. Remember that the body reacts to what the mind tells it; so be kind to yourself, believe in yourself, and never say “I can’t.”
Axton, I hope you use that energy and wiggly-ness to move more than just your body. Use your energy and talents to move mountains. Move obstacles out of your way. Move others to action. When you see something that needs to happen, a challenge to be conquered, I know you’ll rise to the occasion. Be brave and don’t keep still. Don’t stay quiet. Shake things up and make the world a better place.
For all this moving, Axton, I hope you do learn to enjoy solitude. I hope you learn to love being alone with your own thoughts, spending time pondering. I hope you learn to be present, to meditate.
Axton, it is a joy to witness you growing up and into the person you’re meant to be. I love seeing you challenged, and then figure out a solution. I love watching you excel at sports – not just in the physical realm, but also in the emotional realm. Learning to be a good teammate, and learning to take instruction and criticism from coaches. I love watching you be a brother. I love watching you be my son. You’re my world, my rock, my everything. You are the one that still runs out to the car when I get home and wraps me in a giant hug and kiss. You are the one who will rub my back, play with my hair, sit and read with me at night on the couch. You are a snuggler, a lover, a doer, a friend. You love quality time together, and you remind me to make time and space for that in my life. Thank you. I love you.
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