Birthday Letter

For Clark’s first birthday, we asked people to write him a letter that we will give him on his 18^th birthday. We have those letters together in a safe place for him, but the planner in me would like to have my letter saved in the digital world in case anything ever happens to the handwritten one. So, after much deliberation on how much I wanted the world to be a part of my personal letter to him, I have shared it below.

Dear Clark,

You, Clark Scott Sloan, have been the joy of my life. I know deep in my soul that I was put on this earth to love you. You are such a joy and a blessing to our family. Happy, funny, sweet, always smiling – you have truly been the easiest kid to love. 

Your giggle is infectious, and watching you learn and grow up to this point has been the highlight of my life. Your smile truly lights up a room, and that toothy little grin has melted many hearts. I love watching your chubby little fingers communicate in sign language, and even more so when I get to hear your small, sweet voice. ‘Momma’ has been one of my favorite names to be called. You are very smart, kind hearted, and a little ornery. I hope that you never lose those qualities.

I am not sure what the past 17 years have held for our lives, but one thing I know for sure is that my love for you will never fade. Among my biggest hopes for your life are that you will be kind, you will know Jesus, and that you will be happy. As a little boy, you have loved everyone you have encountered – that’s something that seems to be very difficult for many adults, so I hope that you will remember to look for the good in everyone. Whenever you have the chance to brighten someone’s day, take it. It might be a little creepy to still be blowing kisses to old ladies you see in the store when you are 18 like you do at age 1, but keep that sentiment ;).

Each day, I make it a point to cover you in kisses. I know that you will grow tired of this someday, but it is important to me that you know how much you mean to me. You made me a mom. You taught me what it truly means to put someone else first. You showed me what truly unconditional love looks like. Thank you for all of those things.

I hope that I will be next to you on your 18^th birthday as you open these letters and read them, but the truth is, I may not be. If that’s the case, I’m deeply sorry. It will be the biggest regret of my life. Every kid deserves to have their mom. If I am not there as you dig through these letters, know that I really wanted to be, and that my love and admiration for you never wavered. If I am there with you, just let me move into your dorm with you for a little while – it will make this transition much easier on me.

Regardless of who is or isn’t there with you, I hope that you see how loved you are, and how much value your life has, and has given to so many others. It is my prayer that this life will be kind to you, that you will find true happiness – whatever that looks like for you, and that you will never question how loved you are. 

Life will not always be easy, but very few things are permanent. Learn from your mistakes, and do better the next time. Tell the truth. Know that there are many things more important than being right. Take chances. Don’t let hate or fear win…ever. Help others every chance you can. Volunteer. Go to church. Donate to charity. Rest. In addition to these things, find the good in every day, work hard, remember your manners, be kind, laugh more than you cry, and call your mom.

I love you,

Mom

 

 

 

  

 

 

Wormy Wednesday

Full disclosure: This has nothing to do with my baby, but if you’re good and pay attention to my story, I will reward you with some pictures.

My Wednesday started out like any other.  My dear, sweet, kind, smart, caring husband who I love ONLY parks at the bottom of the driveway, so no other cars (e.g. mine) can also use said driveway. I am working on being more go-with-the flow, so I happily parked by the sidewalk in front of the house.

Spring in Iowa means that it will rain for 17 days straight and create mud EVERYWHERE. So I trudged through the mud and made it to my car only to realize that I had parked directly under our tree, and there were saplings and sap engulfing my vehicle. Determined to keep my good attitude, I decided to run it through the car wash at my local gas station.

I get to the gas station, pay for the car wash, enter the car wash, run over the curb while leaving the car wash, and park up front so I can go get some caffeine and a snack. Find said things, pay, return to my car, and drive to my office.

Once at my desk, I start my day by answering emails, returning calls, and working on any unfinished projects. 40 minutes into my day, I realize that my left ankle is slightly uncomfortable, scoot back from my desk, and notice I have something cold, wet, and stringy on my ankle reaching all the way up to roughly mid-calf. Approximately 5 seconds into picking it off my leg and examining it, I realize that it looks a lot like a worm. Like, a LOT like a worm. A dead, cold, slimy, cut in half worm and worm guts were on my leg for at least an hour!

So with my own real-life horror story told, here is the story once again, as told through the many faces of Clark:

How I felt when I realized there was a worm on my leg:

How I felt while touching the worm & worm guts:

How I felt after removing a worm from my leg and realizing that I am a SURVIVOR: