Dear Mom and Dad,
I have actually composed this thank you note in my head every year for a very long time. Last Sunday it occurred to me to sit down and write it on the above card and mail it to you; but here we are again with a blank card and the sentiment intended for you to read today still rattling around in my brain. While I realize that I suffer from this malady (see #4) I'm still struggling to fully embrace the cure. I hope this will suffice for this year.
I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for having me. Having had three children ages 3 1/2 and under, I realize that as your number 3 in a comparable time period my arrival, though welcomed, my birth most likely put your lives in a bit of an upheaval.
Thank you for teaching me that there's always room on your lap for another child. Thank you for teaching me about being kind to others and the joy that comes from serving. Thank you for teaching me how to love and be forgiving. Thank you for not only telling me that God loves me but living your lives in a way that I had not doubt that it was true. Thank you for reading to me from the scriptures as well as all kinds of books. Where The Red Fern Grows will always bring back memories of passing the book to another when we got too choked up to continue reading. Thanks for teaching me that it's OK to cry if you have a good reason but not OK just to get what you want. Thank you for enabling me to pursue my dreams and supporting me when my dreams changed. Thank you for being sealed in the temple so that from the moment I was born I was part of a forever family. Thank you for showing me how to live by faith as well as by works. This is not a complete list or even the most important things - but then, I still have a few more years.
Each year I am filled with deep gratitude for the gift of life you have given me - not just that you created and gave birth to my mortal body (even understanding the magnitude of that most awesome gift); but also that during the 18 years I lived under your daily loving care you taught me who I was, why I am here and where I am going and how to tap into the enabling grace and mercy that will help me get there. While I have lived away from home longer than I lived at home, you gave me a solid foundation to build on and continue to do so today.
And so... for this and much, much more I say thank you!
Thank you with all my heart.
I love you both more than words can ever express.
Karen
2 comments:
happy birthday karen! what a beautiful message...and your cards are always adorable, as usual. my mom's entire cupboard is filled with cute cards she has made with you.
hope you have a good day
With tears in my eyes and thanks in my heart, I will do my best to comment on your most kind and loving remarks.
Having spent the entire day at a family history conference, stressing the importance of families and bringing us all together, to come home, have dinner with my sweet wife, and to then read your message, has put a wonderful cap on a most exceptional day.
Each of our children is special to us, and we have always enjoyed the relationships that we had while each of you was growing up. But now that you are adults and have families of your own, we know that you can experience the joys and everything else that goes with having loving children and a family.
How truly blessed we have been! How we look forward to being together as families forever! We do not want to lose anyone, and are striving to live so that the eternal ties we have to each of you through the covenants we have made with our loving Father in Heaven and Precious Savior will never be broken.
Karen, I remember the day you were born. I was not able to be in the room when you were delivered; they didn't let fathers do that at that time. We were going to name you Lisa, but after seeing you, I told your Mom that your name should be Karen.
Thank you for wanting to come into our family. I do believe that we have some choice in the matter before we are born, though I can't cite any solid authority for that. But I do believe that we have the opportunity to participate in the decisions that are made as to the composition of our earthly families.
May you always have the same joy in your life with your children that we have had with you and your siblings. We look forward to receiving a fullness of joy at some time in the future, but wonder how it could be any better that it is now.
With deepest love and appreciation, your Dad. :)
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