Valentine's Day

Wow, I started this post awhile ago and never got around to finishing it.



This letter is one that I wrote to Christian for Valentine's Day 2012.  I also read it at his funeral.  The best part is that he hung it up on the bulletin board in his room!  Every time I went into his room and saw it hanging there it made me feel so good.  One thing that Katie and I learned early on about Christian is that he loved to be built up.  A few years after we started doing this with Christian, I learned about it in a social work class that I took.  It is called the strengths perspective.  Basically, you look for the good in people to get them talking.  Here is a link to read more about it.   If he was having a rough day for whatever reason, if we sat him down and told him all the good things about him, it would usually turn his mood around.  Anyway, here is the letter.

  

Dear Christian, 

Happy Valentines Day!!!  I wanted to let you know how awesome that I think you are.  I love you so much and I always will, I am proud to call you my son.  You have an amazing personality, a GREAT smile, you are smart, independent, kind, smart, funny, strong, a good friend and just a great person.  You have shown self-control better than most adults can.  

I enjoy watching you play soccer so much.  It is so fun to see you work hard and get success off of your hard work.  You are so talented, and willing to put in extra effort to improve.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.  You are going to have so many opportunities to do so many cool things that most kids (and adults) can only dream of doing.  

I am so glad that God made this family the way that he did.  When everything was going on with mom not getting pregnant, and the baby that we adopted moms changed her mind, I wasn’t sure what God was doing.  I was hurting and upset, and thought that I would never get to be a dad.  If those bad things would not have happened, I would have never got to meet you, and have you be my son.  So looking back you were part of the plan all along.  I know that you don’t always love some of the decisions mom and I make, but we are truly doing what we think is the best thing for you because we love and care about you.  I also really enjoy spending time with you.  You are fun to hang out with.  Thanks for being such a great son!!!

I love you buddy!!!  Have a great Valentines Day!!! 

Love,  Dad

PS - Don’t break any girl’s heart today!!!