Letter to Dylan on August 31, 2019

Photo from Postal Museum

I've recently noted how I'd been impressed to write hand-written-receive-in-the-mail-letters to important people in my life.  This is the letter I wrote to my middle son:

Dylan,

I want to make it official, let you see it in black and white, make it known in a way that I aspire for your heart to hear it in your innermost being:

I love you.

I am grateful that you are my son.

Daily I give thanks to God for all He’s done in your life and all you’re becoming. 

You’ve been clean and sober for three years – I couldn’t be more proud of you!  I pray daily that you will continue on this journey of sobriety and all the things it has, and will continue to, teach you.

I respect how you’re willing to do the hard work of therapy.  That you value yourself, your family, and the interior life enough to do the hard work of paying for therapy.  That you’re actually doing the work of interior mining, habit change, facing your demons, and realizing the uncomfortable that come with therapy.   I can see the difference it’s making in you.  I find myself repeatedly thanking God for the wisdom you’re developing with regard to you and Liz’s relationship.  I can see you growing in the ability to give tenderness that is made real by sacrifice.

I’ve always adored how you have a sweet heart.  It makes me happy to see you letting that heart out in the choices you make about how your family spends it’s time and in romantic gestures for Liz.

I respect how you use your God given intellect to constantly increase in your ability to be smart with your money.  I admire how you have a plan for getting out of debt and how you don’t let it get you down.  I’m inspired by your great faith and vision in this area.

I’m in awe of how you keep your eyes on that which is positive in life.  You’ve plenty of challenges but I consistently see you choose to do what you can about these problems, and then live your life with your eyes on the blessings.  You are one of the most positive people I know.  Not in that obnoxious cheerleader way – but in a simple choice made way.

I’m delighted by your silly humor!

I’m glad to see the joy you receive from running and how you’re nourishing both your soul and body with the discipline of daily running that you’re developing.

I’m grateful to see your heart that reaches out for the spiritual.  How you are learning to make time in your life for daily time of reflection.

I respect how you seek to keep toxic people as much away from your life as is humanly possible.

I’m excited for your future.  I know that all the wrong choices you made in the past, and the hard times that have resulted, and the way you’ve handled these hard time – these life events are building in you.  I’m excited to see how God will use what He’s building in you to bless  you and your family, as well as to bless others.

I couldn’t love you more,

Mom