Happy Birthday Little Man

Benjamin,

This is how it should be: You should be waking up tomorrow to find the bathroom mirror decorated with drawings of everything you love. You should be having pancakes, or french toast, or bacon and eggs, or Lucky Charms; whatever is your most favorite breakfast. You should be beaming with excitement as you pick your favorite outfit to wear on this day, your day, your special day. You should be planning out what we do today, thinking of all the most fun things you can imagine. We should be planning your birthday party, which would probably be on Saturday or Sunday instead so that we can spend this day, your day, as just a family doing whatever your little heart desires. We should have your favorite dinner and eat a cake that I slaved over to make perfect for you. You should be blowing out the candles and making a great big three year old wish. You should be eagerly ripping into the paper that is hiding the present that we picked out specially for you from a list I'm sure you would have told us. You should be getting extra hugs, cuddles and kisses on this day, your day. And it would have been an extra special day since this year all your numbers match. Today, your birthday, is 11/11/11. All number 1's. We would have played up on that big time.

But it will not be like that. There will be no special breakfast, who knows what would have been your favorite, you never got a chance to find out. There will be no favorite outfit, you never got to wear any clothes we bought for you. You are not here to tell us what is the most fun thing to do. You never got a chance to make any friends, so there will be no party. I cannot make you a cake, it's just too hard to make one without imagining what should be. There is no favorite dinner, no presents, no list of favorites. There is no you. And, baby boy, I am so sad about that. Three years have passed and this year is just as hard as every one before it. I miss you. I miss you so much. I don't want other people here on this day, your day. I want you here. I want to feel your weight. I want to kiss your sweet forehead, touch your beautiful dark hair. I want to tell you I love you. I want to just be with you, be happy with you. I want to hear you laugh. Hear you call me Mommy. See you smile and hold my hand. I want to know you as a three year old, not just have to imagine it.

I don't want to be sad on your birthday honeybun. I want to think of you with a smile. Think about how happy you made me, how much you changed me, all the good you have caused in this world. I don't want to be sad when I think about you. But this year I'm just sad. You are the missing piece of our family. The missing piece of my heart.

But I'll try to be happy. Your brother is so excited about your birthday. He was excited all week to give up the little treats we made for everyone to tell them about you. He is so excited to celebrate your birthday, to have your cake and blow out your candles. He knows who you are. He says he misses you and loves you. I don't think he really understands fully, but he knows how special you are. One day he'll fully understand. So will your baby sister. If I had my way every single person I meet will know who you are. And that makes me sad again. They shouldn't have to know of you, or know who you were. I so desperately want everyone to know you. Know the little three year old spitfire that I'm sure you would be.

I love you. I always will. Not a day goes by that you are not in my thoughts. Not a second goes by that you are not in my heart.

With more love than I ever thought possible,
Mommy