Natalie Moutafis' toddler has just turned two. She wrote a letter to him on his birthday.
Darling Son,
Happy second birthday! I love you!
I loved you before I had met you, and I love you more each day – it truly astounds me. And never ever forget this: you were a much awaited, longed-for and dreamt about part of our family. The day you were born and the doctor placed you on my chest, my heart felt like it had exploded. You are the person who made me a mother and for that I will forever be thankful.
There is a quote that I think of often and only truly appreciated once you were born:
Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
— Elizabeth Stone.
You turn two today, and I can’t quite believe it. You seem to have grown up so much: more so in these past couple of months alone. You are so full of life and energy, and you show no signs of slowing down. You are saying more and more words, speaking in sentences and asking questions, demanding (oh, how you can demand), being cheeky (demanding and then ending it with a ‘please’) and generally being a wonderful tiny human in between all the chaos.
You love to run everywhere – and I mean everywhere. You grasp mine or Daddy’s hand and line up with us to race in our hallway pretty much every day at the moment (you cheat by the way – you start running before you finish your countdown). Given the opportunity, you would run your way to/from our place to the CBD (which is about a 2.5 km walk each way) if we didn’t make you stop to cross the road safely, or you didn’t stop to marvel at little things along the way. We wonder often if it’s a sign that you’ll become some sort of athlete or sportsman with this high energy you seem to have in abundance. Whatever you choose to become when you grow up, we have no doubt you’ll give it your all.
But do you know what I’ve realised this past year? Yes, I love you because you are my son, but I love you for the person you are and the person you will become. You are a wonderful human being and I honestly enjoy simply spending time with you. Of course, some days you test my patience and I question (for the 589th time that day) if I’m doing this parenting thing right.
But then you go and do something as simple as saying, ‘Mummy’s turn’, and offering me your drink, or asking me to sit or cuddle with you while you watch your favourite movie Cars and I see how much of an awesome person you are.
Daddy and I couldn’t imagine life without you now. Some days we can’t wait for you to go to bed just so we can relax for a minute (after all that running), but we almost always comment once you are asleep about how we just want to go and wake you up and give you a cuddle, because we couldn’t possibly wait until morning to see you again.
My wish for you on your birthday is that your enthusiasm for life never wanes and that all your hopes and dreams come true, my darling.
Have the happiest of second birthdays, I love you more than you’ll ever know.
Mummy xox
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