Dear Charlie,

From the time I was a little girl, I spun tales of make believe about you.
I kissed my dolls and prayed that God would make my dreams come true.

When Dad and I first married, it seemed you might never come;
We lost an angel and I grieved, thinking maybe I wasn’t meant to be a mom.

Then I heard God whisper, “Don’t lose hope, your angel is on his way.”
And finally, a sign appeared;  “Please God, let me know him,” is all I could say.

Eight weeks within me, suddenly the worst I feared was coming true;
Just like our first, my body was failing and the end was near, I just knew.

The doctor ordered a test to see if our angel had earned his wings,
And on the screen, we lost our breath as we saw your tiny heart beating.

I promised God I would do anything to keep you safe as I lay in bed for 12 weeks;
Your Dad took such good care of us, and no glory did he seek.

The months went by forever, and then on November seventeen;
You came into the world in a rush, you burst upon the scene.

As if to say, “that’s all, it’s time.” you’d waited long enough;
You knew we ached to meet you and the journey had been rough.

You were sweet, and bald, and oh so tiny as could be.
Our miracle in the flesh, our perfect little Charlie.

You showed us a love like no other we had ever felt before.
You soon became the big brother, which made our hearts swell even more. 

Each year you have grown and learned so much, but you may not realize;
All this time you were really teaching us – on how to be “parent-wise.”

But no one prepared me for today – one iconic on your journey.
A rite of passage, yes I know, but I wasn’t prepared for how hard it would be.

To see you get in a car, all alone, and nothing I could do;
To keep that promise I made long ago, to make sure nothing happens to you.

God has been so faithful to let me get to know you in all your wonderful ways.

You fill my heart, you challenge my mind, and make me wish for longer days.

You’re such a good young man, who gives honor to God and to our family.
You use your talents for all that’s good and bring joy to so many.

I can’t believe you’re here; you’ve earned your wings so to speak.
We’ve officially changed roles, for today you are strong and I am weak.

I thank God for the struggle, the journey to bring you here.
And I can’t wait to see what’s ahead in every coming year.

Thank you for doing what no one else could do;
For being the first to call me “mom”, and making my dreams come true.

I don’t know if I have said it well enough – I hope you know what I mean.
With all my heart and all my love, I wish you happy sweet sixteen.