a letter for my son

Dear Joshua,

I am SO proud of you, I am proud of the way you have come through adversity with a smile, I am proud of the way you laugh in the face of pain, there is no one who could be more proud of the gains you have made in your young life. You are stronger than anyone I know, braver than most people, and sweetheart you can't be brave if you are not afraid. There is nothing in this world that you can't do, don't say 'I can't', it limits what you can. You can't read this... not yet. I will read it to you, over and over again until you tell me to stop because I believe in you. I believe in your ability to rise up to any challenge. You CAN talk, maybe not as clearly as you would like right now but when you speak up you are a force to be reckoned with. You tell me everyday what you want, what you are saving your money for, what you need, and now in this past few weeks you have started to tell me how you feel. This is not a little thing luv, this is HUGE. Last year when you started school you wouldn't tell me your name, I worried that if you got lost you wouldn't be able to tell someone what your name is but look at you now! You can not only tell me your name but you can spell it too!

I know that starting a new school is difficult, I have done it myself. I know how hard it is to make new friends... that will never change. It will always be hard, especially when you are shy. Learn this now and it will serve you well in the years to come. As your Mum there is nothing I want more for you than your happiness, I will do all that I can to help you, not just now but always. You are my son and I love you. Change is hard, but it helps you to grow. School is hard but I KNOW you have the ability to nail this! You are smart, and funny, and open and warm. Show the kids in your school that side of you and you will be making friends in no time at all.

Think of the friends you already have, the ones who absolutely LOVE you. They don't love you for any other reason than you are Josh and that makes you so special. There is no one like you. You are my favorite older son! Not just because you're my son but because of who you are.

Know this. Your Daddy and I think you are awesome. We think you are smart. We think you are special. We think you are heading somewhere big in life. We think you have what it takes! We are so so proud of you!

We will also be there every step of the way to help when we can, to do all that we can to make this as painless as possible, but I am afraid that sometimes there is pain. Sometimes, and you know this well luv, there is a place for suffering, stretching, growing pains and patience. Face this new struggle the way you have faced every struggle you have ever faced... with a fist in the air and ready to fight.

I love you,
Mummy.
xoxox