A Wishlist for my 37th Birthday

This is going to be a short post, I promise.  Ever since I've become a mom, my birthday just doesn't have the same meaning anymore.  Instead of wanting things for me, I want things for my little boy.  So instead of creating a "wishlist" for myself, here is a "wishlist" I've written to my little boy:

1.  I wish you happiness.  Oh my little man, there will be times of sadness, but you will soon learn that our own happiness comes from having a positive attitude and an appreciation of all things both big and small.  May you learn to "look at the glass half full" and recognize that even during our hardest times, there is always a glimmer of hope and a lesson to be learned.

2. I wish you confidence.  In a world where people are bullies and can say and do some very mean, hurtful things, I wish you the confidence to be strong and to love yourself no matter what.  Even more, I wish you the courage to stand up for others that are being knocked down as we must all have compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters.

3.  I wish you love.  In this lifetime, I wish that you know not only how to be loved but how to love back.  I hope that one day, you will learn the true meaning of unconditional love--the kind of love that's felt the strongest between parent and child.

4.  I wish you laughter.  In this world, I have learned that you can never take yourself or your life too seriously.  There will be mistakes.  There will be catastrophes.  There will be days when you feel like hiding under your bed. But take comfort in knowing, that we've all been there.  Laugh.  Laugh at yourself.  Laugh at funny moments.  Laugh at hard moments.  Laugh when you feel like crying.  It's always easier to live with a light heart.

5.  I wish you passion.  I wish you a zest for life.  By finding joy in both the great moments and the mundane, you will learn that every moment counts.  May you live each day to its fullest, and never look back on past regrets.

6.  I wish you dreams.  While we must never sacrifice our present moments worrying about the future; we can, however, dream.  Without dreams, there are no goals, and without goals, there is no desire to truly live, learn, and grow.

7.  I wish you spirituality.  Although you are being raised Catholic, I want you to know that practicing spirituality is more than just believing in a religion.  It's about recognizing that we've been put on this earth for a purpose.  It's about loving and appreciating our lives, our blessings, and our family, friends, and neighbors.  It's about being thankful for all of God's great gifts, and trusting Him to help us during our most difficult moments.  May you some day learn and find comfort, like I have, in the meaning of "Let go, and let God."

Little Lewie, I suppose I could have written a wishlist for good health, success, and fortune, but the reality is that health, success, and fortune are temporary.   There are no guarantees in life that we will have any of these, and there are certainly no guarantees that they'll stay with us.  No, instead, my wish for you is to have the "tools" to live life on life's terms.  Everyone has good and bad days.  Everyone has struggles.  Everyone has lessons to be learned.  As your mother, I want to do my best to protect you from hardships, but even I must learn that I don't have all the power to make things easy for you...Instead, I can only teach you the tools that I have learned in my 37 years.  When I blow out my candles today, know that my wish is to pass these tools on to you.  I can't say I've mastered them, but I can say that they've helped me find beauty in this uncertain and sometimes crazy journey called life.  I love you with all my heart.  ~Mommy