Honey Bear

It's been a while since I wrote to you, Riley. You and I have been so busy lately, hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa, planning our house, riding bikes and playing Frisbee. You are growing up so fast, and I can barely keep you in shoes that fit. I had to pin you down to give you a haircut, because you really like having it longer.

I took you up to our lot the other night and you told me, "Mom, I didn't realize how perfect it would be." I am so happy that after all the heartache you have experienced and all the times you have had to comfort me that you are able to realize things that are good, and hopeful. Some kids might close up, or rebel, or just quit talking about things, but you have been so brave, and so grown up, even though you shouldn't have had to be. You have truly taken care of your mom, and there have been many days when the only thing I wanted to live for was you. I lost many things when your dad and I divorced, but having you come from all of it is the only thing I need.

You just started guitar lessons, and you are reading cool books (when I can get you to sit down for a few minutes), building your own Lego sets, and looking forward to seeing the new "Transformers" movie. You fight constantly with your grandma and are so looking forward to us having our own place. You love her, but sometimes you two act like a couple of teenage siblings. I swear you fight more than she and I did when I was a teenager.

You and Grandpa eat watermelon together, and play with minnows, and he takes us fishing. When you grow up and remember the year that we lived with them you will cherish so much all the things you got to do, and all the things you learned about them that most grandkids would never learn about their grandparents unless they were with them every day. I hope that you will always appreciate the breeze off the water, the call of a loon, a good game of tennis on TV, and really good food.

To say I love you could never explain how I feel about you, Honey Bear. You are my life, my light, and my boy forever.