For Kevin

Dear Kevin, 

I have known I loved you since way before you were born. Maybe even before you were even in your mami’s tummy! Way before that cold February day, when I was driving down I-15 (aka “The Interstate of Death”) from Salt Lake City in Utah when your grandma, nani, called me to tell me you had arrived. I had come to Canada about 2 weeks before that day to witness your arrival in person. But nope, you wanted no visitors, nor witnesses. You pretty much arrived, I was told, when your mami was virtually all alone in the hospital room. And to this day, you can do without an audience.

9 years later you’ve become this bundle of energy and laughter that no one saw coming. Everyone who knows you says they cannot resist you anything. You charm, you lure, you seduce, you break hearts. Already. And we all fall like flies under your spell …

Why do we love you?! Let me count the reasons, our sweet Kev-Kev: we love your brains - you are the family’s whiz in math, no matter how much you’d fight it: you’re the only one who figures out math brain twisters; we love your thirst for knowledge as you read non-stop and  you play games beyond your years; and, boy, do we love how even being the littlest of us all doesn’t faze you: you keep all of us in line: no party, no noise, no people, no presents! We love your heart – one of the most beautiful things about you: your love, care and respect of the animals and the planet. Your kindness to other kids less fortunate than you, your kindness to all creatures that cannot help themselves. I hope your dream to have a bunny and kitty farm one day will become true. I want to help with that!

My favorite memories with you are many, but I wanted to leave just one note here about one of the funniest, more memorable things you said recently. You tell us all the time you love us, and we thank you for that huge, unconditional gift. This is a recent exchange of affection between you and your mami:

Your mom: Kevin, I love you more.
You: I love YOU more than you love me more.
Your mom: That’s not possible.
You: That is very super possible, because I am a possible man. And I am a legendary weapon of love.

We can never love you back enough, sweet boy! May you always believe that anything is “very super possible”, and may you grow into a beautiful young man from the special (still) boy you are today.  

Happiest of birthdays today and I hope it involves ribs, at some point. Or soon!