My Darling Son,

I honestly still cannot fathom that you are now six years old. In many ways it has gone way too fast and I still see in you the infant that I can protect and shelter from the harms of the world. But I also know you are destined for great things in this world and out in it you must venture. 

And venture you have as the past year has been a complete whirlwind of life. You’ve started and finished preschool, moved to an entirely new city and started the challenge of kindergarten, and experienced first-hand the birth of your baby sister. You’ve lived in hotels and Airbnbs for weeks at a time, felt the uncertainty of displacement as we navigated the fog of life’s gigantic changes this year, and all while being the brightest of shining starts imaginable. You have carried more water than any 5-year-old should ever have to, and you’ve done it all remarkably.

You are so kind, so gentle, so full of love, pure of heart, and absolutely incredibly brilliant. I truly am at a loss for words to describe how beautiful of a human you are. I knew this of you from the moment I first held you but somehow you just keep raising the bar higher at every turn. My heart somehow manages to grow three sizes every single day. You give me more faith in the innate goodness of humanity than anything or anyone else I’ve ever encountered.

So shine on. The world needs your light and your love, and I am beyond proud that you are so willing to share that light and love with us all.

I love you.