Birthday Letter to Torin - Beginning a Birthday Tradition

The following is a birthday letter I wrote to my son for his very first birthday which is today. Love you so much Torin, HAPPY BIRTHDAY son.

October 27, 2009

Torin’s first birthday

Dear Torin,

Happy birthday! This is your first of many birthdays and I want to start this tradition now of writing a birthday letter to you each year.

Torin, my amazing son. I can’t believe I get to celebrate this special day with you. We share our birthdays together and I love it. The first year of your life has been incredible as I have watched you grow and develop. Torin, my love for you has grown each and every day. I still can’t believe we get to have you as our son, our little boy, what an amazing and special gift you are to us.

Torin, I am not great with words and I am not sure if I can begin to put into words how the last year has affected me and changed my life since you have entered our lives. All that I can say is, it has been terrific, awesome and the best year of my life. You are such a huge blessing and I am glad I have you in my life and can’t imagine it any other way.

During the last year, we got to experience “our favorite football team and hockey team” win their league championships. The Pittsburgh Steelers won Superbowl 43 and the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh Baby! You also got to go to your first Major League baseball games in Pittsburgh at PNC Park to see the Pittsburgh Pirates. I know you won’t remember it, but we do have the pictures.

This year, we got to travel with you to New York to see your Grandpa Meeker and to Pittsburgh to see the Pirates and tour Heinz Field where our Steelers play football. We got to go to Atlanta to see your Grandma Roni and then to Orlando where we got to go to the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom and Sea World. Again, we have pictures to chronicle your adventures with mom and dad.

There is so much joy that we have to share in these great experiences together and to share our life with you, son.

We also continue to see your personality develop. You bring so much joy and happiness to those around you through your infectious smile and happy personality. You are a blessing to so many and everyone who encounters you always comments on how happy and cute you are. You are also starting to find your voice. While you do not say a lot of understandable words, you say a lot and we love to listen because it sounds so interesting.

Every day, you amaze us, Torin, by the new things you do, smiling, sitting up, crawling, standing up, playing, talking and simply by being you. You are amazing Shorty. We value every single moment we have with you and do not want to miss a single moment watching you grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually into all God has destined you to be.

I continue to pray that you would find favor with both God and man. Luke 2:52. I also pray that as you grow older that you would understand God’s boundless love, His amazing grace, His unmatched mercy, and His unbelievable forgiveness that He has for you. I also pray that you would one day decide to follow Jesus, respond to Him by loving Him and receiving what He has done for you through His life and death on the cross.

I desire to be a godly example for you and role model for you as a man of God. Forgive me of any mistakes I have made during the first year and any I may make during this second year. I want the best for you, son. I want to see you succeed and grow and be all that God has purposed you to be.

Torin, I am looking forward to this next year of your life and excited about sharing with you new experiences and spending quality time with you. I appreciate who you are, Torin. I am so proud to be your dad.

Happy Birthday! I love and cherish you very much.

Love,

Dad

“One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left.” -Matthew 19:13-15