I Wish For You

As part of the Easter preparations at our church, Sean had his First Reconciliation ceremony on Monday.

The parents were to write a letter of affirmation to their child, and this was our letter to Sean.

On Your First Reconciliation

Dear Sean,

On the day of your first reconciliation, I wish for you many things.

I wish for you to know how God blessed us on the day we discovered we were to have a second child.

I wish for you to know how much joy entered our hearts on June 30, 1997, when we held your sweet slimy floppy body in our arms and kissed you for the very first time.

I wish for you to know how much your brother loved you, from the day we brought you home you were the first thing he wanted to see when he got home from preschool.

I wish for you to know how we enjoyed watching you grow, talk, and take your first steps.

I wish for you to know how happy and sad and proud we felt when we left you alone with your teacher for your first day of school.

I wish for you to know how much we admire you for overcoming your shyness and showing leadership with your classmates.

I wish for you to know how happy we feel when we see you doing the right thing when others around are doing the wrong thing and encouraging you to join them.

I wish for you to know how it warms our hearts to see you apologize to someone for doing wrong.

I wish for you to know how much we appreciate you sticking by your brother during his cancer treatments, even when he was mean to you in return.

I wish for you to know how much we admired your courage in leaving your first grade class in San Diego and starting midyear in a new school and a new state.

I wish for you to know how sorry we are that there were times we neglected you to take care of your brother and how grateful we are that you forgave us.

I wish for you to know how much we appreciate you telling me when there were things we could do to be better parents to you.

I wish for you to know how much I appreciated it when you gave me advice on how to tell your brother Steven that one of his friends had died from cancer.

I wish for you to know how you’ve taught us things about attitude, love, courage and perseverance that are more profound than anything we’ve learned from people much older and more experienced than you.

I wish for you to know how wonderful it feels when you put your arms around us.

I wish for you to know how we see the hand of God on you in all the good things you’ve become and in the wonderful things that you will become in the future.

But most of all…

I wish for you to know how very, very, very much we love you, from the bottom of our hearts to the tips of the stars, always and forever, our dear Sean Christopher Bell.

- Kathleen