Happy Valentine's Day!

[It's funny that I'm posting these letters to my boys, because on one of the other blogs I follow, she also wrote letters to her boys and posted them. I wrote these last night though, so I guess we just think alike.]

Brendan,
I love you. You are my first born son and you are so much like me it drives us both nuts. I was at your parent teacher conferences the other day and over and over I heard teachers tell me how funny you are; how smart you are; how chaotic you are; how respectful you are. You are living your life to the fullest and you are happy. You have great gifts and talents and I love that you are using them. I pray that as you go through your life that you remember to be happy and content with who you are. You can change the world. You are a leader. Use your gifts and talents for good, not evil, and take each opportunity (good and bad) to grow, laugh, be challenged and share. Your sense of humour will take you a long way in life -don't lose it! You jump into things with such enthusiasm and you take risks without doubting yourself - you will need those qualities to get you through your life. I am excited to see where your life takes you. Whatever you do, do it well and enjoy it. I am glad that I get to be your mom and play a part in your life.
As you grow up, have tolerance and patience with your brother. Your relationship WILL change and one day you will appreciate each other. No matter what, you are forever connected. And finally, stay open to God. I respect your opinions and your thoughts, but don't ever close yourself off to the possibilities that exist.
Play hard, have fun with your friends, laugh a lot and stay respectful of others.
Happy Valentines Day. I love you.
Mom


Dylan,
I love you. You are my second son and you have helped me to grow as a mom since the day you were born. God has gifted you in so many ways and it is exciting to watch you use those gifts to help other people. I know you get frustrated with the way that God has made you, but don't ever forget that God has a plan for your life. A plan that only you can fulfill. You have a purpose - a reason to be here. Without you, there would be something missing in this world. You have an incredible compassion for children and a tolerance for every person who is different or faces challenges. You are cautious about the things you do and you think through things very thoroughly. You are a problem solver and you have great insight in to how people think. You have great instincts with people and you will need to rely on those instincts as you grow older. Don't worry so much about how things are for you right now - things have a way of evening out as you grow up. School is not the most important thing in life. Continue to build relationships with people and find ways to use the gifts that God has given you. As your faith grows and God's plan for your life is unraveled take the steps one at a time and don't worry about what's happening around you. Stay focused on God and let Him direct you - He will never lead you the wrong way.
Take some chances every now and then, surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you and continue to love God.
Happy Valentines Day. I love you.
Mom


For both of you.... I want you to know that I know that things are tough for us right now, but we will be ok. I have faith for all of us. We need to stick together, work together and love each other. Have some patience. There are great things ahead for us and if we didn't have the struggling times we wouldn't be able to really, really appreciate the easier times. We are learning about what it truly means to share. We will come out the other side of this tough moment, with strength, faith and a better understanding of people. WE CAN DO IT!
I love you both and nothing makes me happier than having God choose me to be your mom.