Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

Thirteen years old on the 13th.

Your "Golden Birthday".

It's not the one I hoped for for you, the one I wished for, but you're still this side of theaven, still with us, even though you're not at home.

I wanted to do a birthday party for you on Sunday evening, like the one we had last year, where neighbors and friends came by and wished you well. 

But while that's not what happened, I'm also not in the midst of planning your final party either. Last week I was afraid we would be. I pled with you to hold on. I reminded you that Andrew comes home in a few more weeks. Jonny, Avanlee and Elend will be here soon, too, and we never did get a picture of you and Elend last year. 

So we'll be grateful and glad that you're with us, doing better, bit by bit. We'll get through this and go home.  

Home to our home in Alpine, together. Not to the other Home that I can't go to with you. 

Update:  He's making progress, but it's slow.  Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back. Or fix one thing and another decides it wants attention. Mostly, it's a process of getting him back to where he doesn't need all the extra supports we put on board to get him through all of this. 

Last year I really felt like it might be his last birthday, and it almost was. But we've got today. He's here. He's getting better. We are so grateful. 

"Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift."

Aretha Franklin