Happy 12th Birthday, Hunter!

 Dear Hunter,

Today you are 12 years old.  It’s difficult to remember the days before you were a part of our family.  I remember so clearly the looks on the faces of your big sisters when they walked in the hospital room to meet you.  They were smiling so big and with so much joy.  I don’t think you have ever known a day where they were not happy to see you.  You are deeply loved and a critical piece of this family.

You are a smart kiddo.  With two big sisters modeling hard work and determination, you typically also put forth your best effort.  Taking on more responsibility for your grades and studying in Middle School has been a small adjustment.  But you are figuring it out and doing well.  I am proud of the way you have tried hard and developed a solid work ethic when it comes to your academics.

Nothing shows your determination quite like watching you in sports.  You work hard in every practice, every game, every competition.  The hours you spend in personal practice are significant.  Whether it be on your own or with your Dad or one of your sisters, you spend a lot of time on a baseball diamond, in a batting cage, or on a basketball court.  Though you are growing in size, you are not big.  Most of the time, the other kids on the field or the court tower over you.  But what you lack in size, you make up for in effort and game knowledge.  You are an excellent shot on the basketball court.  And on a baseball field you can catch anything. 

I realized something recently as I was watching you play in a school kickball tournament.  You were one of the youngest kids on the field.  And yet you were out there silently leading your team.  Let’s just say you guys were not winning.  And me…I was a mess on the sideline.  I had become accustomed to watching you compete at an incredibly high level over the summer with your travel baseball team.  Let’s put it this way: it’s not normal to watch you play on a team that is losing.  Now, this kickball game really didn’t matter.  It dawned on me that 1) your competitive nature is genetic, and 2) you handle it better than I do.  I’ve seen you when you are winning.  And I have seen you when you are losing.  And I am immensely proud of you in both of those situations.  You handle gametime pressure with great integrity, calmness and sportsmanship.

Free time at home is spent shooting baskets on your mini basketball hoop, building lego speed cars, crawling behind a toy tractor, going on scooter rides around the block, watching youtube videos or playing games on your tablet.  Most nights I will find you crafting model planes or basketball hoops out of cardboard and candy wrappers in your room.  I like how you still find time to be creative and inventive.

One of your skills is that you can read extremely well and with great expression.  I could hand you a paragraph and you could easily read it cold in front of a group of people.  This is not a skill you are particularly interested in exhibiting or using.  And yet, I know it is one that will serve you well in the future.  You really do present well and seem unphased by public speaking.

Your two big sisters are some of your biggest fans.  They love to encourage you and support you.  Sometimes you don’t really love the attention.  But most of the time, you enjoy hanging out with them, harassing them, or playing “Jailbreak” with them.  The three of you are good friends.  I hope you are always close to them.  They love you more than I can describe, and I know you feel the same way.

You have a fun sense of humor, but it’s a delicate balance.  There are definitely times when you like to be funny and make us laugh.  You’re a master of the lingo and we hear “skibidi” and “sigma” and “cap” more than we can possibly interpret.  But there are also times when we would love to tease you that you absolutely do not appreciate.  You can be very serious at times.  That is not a bad thing – its just a balancing act.

Still your favorite place on earth is Grandma’s farm.  You love to walk around outside and explore through the buildings that you’ve been in countless times.  You have always loved it out there.  The great big yard is perfect for sports and activities.  The house is as familiar to you as our own.  And the outbuildings still hold traces of your Grandpa.  I know you love it because you feel close to him there.  There is still a fierce love in you for your Grandpa.  You remind me of him when you tease us.  You remind me of him when you play baseball.  You remind me of him when you watch a basketball game and have all kinds of commentary. 

This is not an easy time to grow up.  I don’t know if any time in history would be described as “easy”, but this era is one full of hazards that haven’t really been navigated before.  Digital media and the ever presence of technology is a lot to manage for adults, much less preteens.  We are doing our best as parents, but it feels like we are constantly adjusting rules or expectations or boundaries.  What is wise and acceptable one day can be suddenly not okay the next.  I’m praying that through all of this you will gain wisdom over how to exist as a Godly boy in an online world.  It’s a challenging place full of dangerous traps and problematic options.  It can be used for good, but it can also be used against you for evil. 

You love sci-fi movies, aviation, and hiking in the woods.  You love tigers, hamsters, and your stuffed pig “Wanda”.  You love cheeseburgers, scalloped potatoes and bismarks.  You love coffee and make a whole pot whenever I ask you to do so.  You are a great kid – one I enjoy spending time with and one I am very proud to call my own. 

The years ahead will bring some changes for you and for us.  You are growing up and some of your siblings will soon be heading off to college.  One day we will have to say goodbye to the farm you love so dearly.  There are things about life right now that you and I would like to freeze and hold onto forever.  It’s not that I don’t want you to get any older, but more that I want to soak up all the awesomeness of who you are right now.  I don’t want to forget the way you laugh, the look on your face when you step up to that plate with a bat in your hands, the sound of your voice telling me a story about PE at school.  Those are the golden joys that I hold close.  No matter what tomorrow brings, I know Who holds your future.  He loves you more than I ever could.  I pray you will continue to look to Him, to lean into Him and to trust in Him with whatever comes your way.

I love you, Hunter.

Always,

~Mom