For Elijah

Elijah turned 13 on Saturday.  I can't believe I am the mother of a teenager!  For his birthday, Josh had a nice idea to have some special people in his life write something for him about how we see his character traits developing, and how these traits will be helpful as he moves into adulthood.  I wrote something, as well as Josh, my dad, Julie (Nana) aunt Lisa, and Abigail.  I plan to share these things on my blog- today I will share what I wrote.  It's a little lengthy, but hey, I'm his mommy and he's my first born son!  I plan to share these things over the course of a few posts.  

My sweet Elijah- 13 years old.  I just can’t believe it;  where did the time go?  I remember when I found out I was going to have my first baby.  I was overjoyed!  I was so excited to become a mommy, although I had no idea what exactly that would involve.

You were a little late in arriving.  Due on Labor Day, you decided not to join us until September 15^th.   Words can not describe the love I felt for you when I first held you in my arms.  You were such a precious baby, and I loved you so much. 

We brought you home from the hospital and sat you down in the middle of your bedroom.   We weren’t sure what to do next!  So, I picked you up and sat in the rocking chair with you, sang you little songs, read you books, and fed you.  That’s pretty much what we did for the first 6 months of your life. 

Dad worked from 3-11 when you were little, so we spent a lot of evenings alone together.  I’d put on one of my favorite CD’s and hold you.  We’d dance around the house together and I’d sing.  You loved it- you used to giggle so much. 

It was quite obvious that you were an intelligent young man.  Even as a small baby we could see it.  You had a very large vocabulary before you were even one.  By the time you were 2, you were able to write your own name!  I thought it was perfectly normal, until the neighbor came out and saw you scratching out the letters E L I in sidewalk chalk.  She exclaimed, but he’s only 2!

When you were in the pre -school years (before Abigail was born) we played a lot of games together.  But your favorite game was the guessing game.  I would draw a picture and you would guess what it was, then I would write the word out for you.  I learned this game from grandpa.  This is probably why you are such a good speller now- language just came so easily to you.

You have developed into such a wonderful young man.  I could make a list of all of the wonderful things you’ve done, and the ways in which I’ve been blessed by you, but I can’t because I think the list would be too long and nobody else would have a chance to talk.  So I’ll just highlight a few points.

I remember when Abigail was born.  You were so excited to have a baby sister.  You loved her so much, and were so gentle with her.  You always shared all of your toys with her and tried to include her in your play- even though she was so much younger than you.  You loved to build things with blocks.  You tried really hard to let Abigail be a part of it¸ but she had a bad habit of knocking your towers down.  You tried not to get angry and you’d  instruct her in the correct way of building things.  This is a character trait in you that I continue to see.  You enjoy teaching people new things, and you get excited about learning and helping others learn. 

Another thing that sticks out in my mind is when Isaac joined our family.  Again, you were very happy to have another sibling, this time a baby brother.  I remember a time you read him a story.  He loved animals, so you chose a book with a lot of animals in it.  You were describing the animals to him, and telling him all about your favorite animal, the Elephant.   I remember this because I was in the middle of cooking dinner and Isaac was being a little fussy.  He needed someone to entertain him while I finished making dinner.  You didn’t complain a bit that I asked you to help me- you were happy to help.  You are a helpful young man, and always willing to help me do things, especially when you see I have a real need.  This is something I really appreciate about you.  I know you will continue to be helpful.

Something that continuously sticks out in my mind is your compassion for people.  You once wrote an essay in 2^nd grade about how you thought abortion should be illegal, and when you grew up you were going to be like Abraham Lincoln, but instead of abolishing slavery, you were going to abolish abortion.  Although you didn’t know the specifics of the subject matter, you were smart enough to know that abortion hurt babies, and you didn’t like that.

I also see your compassion in the ways you treat your siblings, (especially Christian and Jeremiah) when they get hurt or they are sad.  You’re not afraid to give them a hug when they need one.  That is a really good quality.  Everyone needs compassion.

You’re also a very passionate person, meaning, you are very outspoken about certain issues- especially when you feel like a person has been wronged.  I see this as a quality that is good, but needs a little fine tuning.  It’s good to stand up for your rights and the rights of others. 

You’re a great public speaker.  Anyone who has ever heard one of your speeches, or seen you give a demonstration can attest to that.  You are clear, concise, and not afraid to be in front of a crowd.  You demonstrate a lot of confidence in this area.  This is a great quality to have, and one that you will use throughout your life

You are a teenager now, and before  I know it, you will be an adult making all sorts of adult decisions.  You are going to do well in life because of the character traits that you are developing.  Most importantly, you understand that the only way to live a good life is to have a solid rock to stand on, and that rock is Jesus Christ.  You understand the value of the Bible.  You are kind, compassionate, intelligent, considerate, helpful, creative, and so much more.  I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for you- I know it will be good.