An Open Letter to My Son Jurrell on His Birthday

My Manchild/Director and son, you are now 18. I remember vividly the day you came home with me to stay. After three months of visiting you, weekend stays, paperwork and court dates… you came home shortly before your first birthday.

I was excited and scared at the same time – but look at how far we’ve come. It has been quite the ride to young adulthood; the good, the bad and the ugly… but you’re here. And, I’m grateful to God that you are. Through it all… I have no regrets. You see, I know without a shadow of a doubt that God put us together.

So as you enter this new chapter, I praise God for your very existence and speak joy into your life. I speak stability and peace over you. I speak new beginnings, open doors and opportunity into your spirit. Most of all, I speak love into your beautiful heart.

I leave you with some lyrics of a song I thought were so hokey when I was younger but make so much sense to me now:

♫…For the nights I sat up with you, Doctored you prayed for you no charge. For the time and the tears and the costs through the years, There is no charge. When you add it all up the full cost of my love… Is no charge. For the nights filled with gray, And the worries ahead no charge. For the advice and the knowledge, And the costs of your college no charge. For the toys food and clothes, And for wiping your nose there’s no charge son. When you add it all up the full cost of my love, Is no charge…♫ ~H. Howard (The Shirley Caesar version is all I know) 

I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Happy Birthday Son. I love you. ~Mom