A Birthday Letter to my Oldest Son on his 14th birthday

Every year on my boys' birthdays, I write them "Birthday Letters". The purpose of the letters is to create verbal "snapshots" of their personalities at every age. I hope some day my boys will look back at their letters, get a glimpse of how special they were (and are), and know how much I loved them at every stage of their childhood. Today, I am sharing the letter I wrote for my oldest son on his 14th birthday.

Dear Cameron,

As you turn 14, I am overwhelmed by the feeling that the time I have with you living in my home is running short. The years are going by too quickly, and I am trying my best to appreciate every minute with you. I am so proud of the young man you have become, and I feel blessed to be your mother. Here are some of the reasons you are my favourite 14 year old in the whole world:

• You are a great big brother. You set a wonderful example for your brothers, and I love how much fun you have together.
• You are always up for an adventure. This year we went on a family cruise, and you loved it!
• You are hardworking and clever, and you put 110% into everything you do. You train hard for hockey, and you are organized and focused when it comes to your education.
• You inspire me with how you react to adversity. After missing your hockey season last year with a broken collar bone, you broke your elbow. Although it was devastating, you handled it well, and dedicated yourself to recovery.
• Your favourite sport is hockey, and you are a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan. You had the chance to attend a game last week, and you LOVED it!
• You love your brothers and your family, and you have a lot of fantastic friends.
• You love peanut butter sandwiches, turkey dinner, steak, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate chip cookies (hot out of the oven).
• You are kind, thoughtful and helpful. You sold cookie jars this summer and gave $1 from each jar to Cystic Fibrosis. You also raised money for charity by selling some of your belongings and running a "letter writing to Santa" fundraiser.

You are a wonderful human, and I love you all the way to the moon. Even though I know you are growing up (and I get fewer hugs than I used to), you'll always be my "first baby".

Love,
Mom
xoxo