A father writes a letter to his son, who is turning 11 years old the day after Christmas.
December 22, 2003~
Dearest Johnathon:
I am writing to you today to wish you an early Happy Birthday. I know your birthday isn't until four more days, but I wanted to wish you a happy birthday before we all get caught up in the hustle-bustle of Christmas and the excitement of waiting for Santa Claus.
Johnny, I can't believe how fast you are growing. It seems that every day, we are discovering more and more wonderful things about you, and you have been nothing but a Miraculous Blessing from God to us; and we feel so honored and privileged to be a part of your life. You make us proud to be your parents, and you have taught us much about life and courage and bravery in the midst of surviving seemingly impossible odds. You have far exceeded the expectations of doctors, doctors who didn't give you much in the way of hope upon your diagnosis of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, and again during the time you had meningitis and fell into a coma. You also fooled them when you began to have your seizures, and also the problems with your heart and breathing; but here you are, nearly 11 years old now, and you are still going strong! You may not be as strong as you used to be (thanks in light to your muscular dystrophy), and it may be harder for you to do things; but never think for a minute that we are angry with you because you may feel that you are a "burden" to us; but we are your parents, and when you DO get sick or have a problem, we are here to take care of you or to help you through whatever obstacle your illnesses may throw your way. You are NOT a "burden", Johnny: you are our SON, and we LOVE you very, very much!
We can't imagine our lives without you, and you have brought us both much in the way of unspeakable joy and hope, and you are a courageous young man who has such a good attitude and a good little head upon his little shoulders! You exemplify true bravery, and many people can learn many powerful lessons just from seeing you or observing you in action! People quickly learn that you are NOT an object to be pitied; but a very loving and lively little boy who happens to have a terminal illness; and yet, despite it, you are living your life for the here and now, and you are cherishing each and every moment!
Johnny, you also exhibit a strong childlike faith in Jesus Christ, and you aren't afraid to proclaim your faith. You would make a very good preacher man, and if you were able, I am sure that you would probably give Pastor Bilkey at church a run for his money! You know the Bible inside and out, from memory, and God has touched you in a mighty and powerful way! You know how to pray, and it makes our hearts swell with pride when we see you lifting up family members or friends in prayer; and you have had the opportunity to minister to people about Jesus; and because of your actions and words, people have come to the altar to accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour! You will be rewarded most richly in Heaven because you are doing the Lord's Work here on Earth, and I am sure that He is very proud of you! We sure are! You are winning souls for Christ, and that is what is most important! You have learned the Christian faith well, and things will only get better for you as you continue to grow and learn in Christ Jesus!
While you may not have a talent for singing, you do have talent for other things, such as playing several instruments, even with your own physical, auditory, and visual disabilities; yet, you have triumphed over your disablilites, and besides teaching people about the Love and Ministry of Jesus Christ, you are also teaching people about acceptance of those who are disabled, and you are breaking down many barriers. You are teaching people that the disabled can do many good and wonderful things, and you are changing the lives and minds of both non-disabled and disabled people everywhere you go! It is because of YOU that many disabled people will now have better opportunities to succeed in life!
The last 11 years since you first came into our lives as a tiny, sickly baby from Germany have been the best by far; and we have only grown to love you more and more as the years go by, and even though we have added many more children to the family, we still love you as much now as we did the first time we saw your picture and then held you in our arms for the very first time. Now here you are facing yet another birthday, and it doesn't seem possible, but you have grown into a fine and caring young man who doesn't let devastating disability or despair rule his life; and you are courage personafied ten thousand times over! You are among the bravest of kids we have ever met, and every day we are always in awe and amazement as you reach and surpass yet another obstacle or milestone in your life! I hope that we will have many more birthdays together, but even if you DO die soon, we CAN have the assurance that the WORST possible thing that can happen to you is seeing the Face of your Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and while in Heaven, you will be given your angel's wings, and best of all, you will be totally and completely HEALED! You will be able to run and jump again, and you will never again have to worry about sickness or pain! You will also be able to see and hear again, and your voice will be stronger and you will be able to join Heaven's Choir! Oh, what a WONDERFUL day THAT will be for you! And OH, what a WONDERFUL day when Jesus comes to take you home! (We may be sad and heartbroken when you DO go, but we can also rejoice for the many blessings that the Lord has in store for you, and we will always remember you and will never, ever forget you!)
But while you are here now, we can still enjoy the moments we have with you, and every day spent with you is both precious and wonderful! And we can still celebrate your birthday and fondly look back on your life and see how far you have come! So as I close this now, Johnny, may I be among the first to wish you a very happy and blessed birthday, and may God be with you each and every step of your earthly life! May you grow closer to Him, and may you never lose hope or your faith! I love you with all my heart and soul, and I do hope that you know that I sincerely mean that!
Love, your old and broken-down daddy.
(((HUGS))) and XXXXXXX's to you, Son!
P.S.: OH! One more thing: May you have the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years!!
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Reviewed by Kate Clifford
12/22/2003
Wonderful example of a fathers love for his child. Thanks for the sharing.
A short story of mine was included in an anthology of short fiction by fourteen of Port Town Publishing Company's authors. It is out of print and no longer available except as a download. Contact me at charlenetess@yahoo.com if you want it.
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