Where do I begin? Today is your 16th birthday. It is so hard to believe that the baby boy in my arms in this picture is now several inches taller than me! This picture was taken on our very first trip to meet you in Haiti when you were 9 months old. I am so grateful for those memories and moments shared (although to this day I feel sadness that many months of separation followed.) I thank God that He brought you home and for all the years we’ve now had together as a family!
On your 16th birthday, I want to tell you how much I enjoyed the energetic, happy-go-lucky, boundless energy boy you were as a little guy. I want you to know that your unique lens of viewing life and telling us about it in childhood taught us creativity and curiosity and good humor (and sometimes patience, hehe!) What a blessing it has been to walk through all these stages of life with you.
But wow! What a sweet season it is now to see you becoming a young man right before our eyes. I admire that you are a young man of kindness, and I love that I had the opportunity to witness that in you from a very young age. I can still picture toddler Ian in Haiti, concerned for other babies who cried and trying to soothe them. Through the years, I’ve seen that kindness and sensitivity displayed towards others who were hurting, whether siblings or people God placed in your path. It is a character quality that reminds me of Jesus. I pray you will always seek to be like Him in this way.
Ian, you’re also a peacemaker. I appreciate this so much about you. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” You do this well. While it’s true that there are times in life when confrontation becomes necessary, it can still be done in love with unity as the goal. You bring people together and create connections. This blesses you + others!
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