Dear Jesse,
Twenty one years ago, today, you were born, and I became a mother. Twenty-one years ago today, I met one of the most wonderful human beings a person can hope to meet. Twenty-one years ago, your dad and I held you for the first time, and our lives changed forever.
You brought with you energy, intensity, enormous intelligence, passion, more passion, wonderment, curiosity, and lots and lots of laughter. With you, I learned about dinosaurs and monkeys and wild things, and I learned that every truck has its own name and that it is possible for a person to watch a truck at work for an hour. I learned the power of art to calm and center the soul; I learned about emotional intelligence so I could teach you.
You taught me about the importance of play. You taught me that I am not in control of life. Being your mother helped me to learn that life is so much more magical when you let it unfold in its natural way...that one of the secrets to happiness is letting go of my thoughts of how life SHOULD be, how people should be, and instead learn to SEE how things are and learn how to allow myself to respond naturally to the beauty of life just as it is.
Two weeks ago, I sat next to you and watched your first film in a packed university theater. I could feel the energy pouring out of you; you greeted your friends with joy and laughter; you were grinning with excitement from ear to ear as the film you and your friends had labored over was shown. In that moment, you who have become so calm and grounded, I could see you at 3 bursting with instatiable excitement about life, unstoppable.
You are wonderful. I am so thankful to be a witness to your life. Happy birthday, Jesse!
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