Happy Birthday Clarke

Eighteen years later, I still remember getting the phone call. I had never really been excited about a child being born before. After all, kids never really meant anything to me before. But I was overjoyed to get that phone call.

I instantly began to plan a mini road trip to meet you. You were coming home on Friday. I didn't care that traffic going toward Richmond would be horrible. I didn't care that I would have to leave straight from work. I didn't even care about plans that I already made for the weekend. I had someone special to meet. You!

I could go on and on about how much I miss you. How much I know that your parents miss you, but I want to focus on some other things. I want to talk about how happy I am that you were in my life at all. You helped me understand that children can be a joy. I learned that I could change a diaper. I could hold a baby without harming it. I could be around a child without counting the minutes for it to be gone.

You don't know how much joy and happiness you brought into my life. Other people know about most of the achievements that you had. They don't realize that you, by being you, changed me forever and for the better. You started me on a path to being able to be a parent. You walked for me on the day that I became a husband. And you showed everyone how to be the life of a party.

I thank God for you being in my life. Happy birthday Clarke! I love you and I miss you.