The Day You Arrived

What a day that must have been to welcome you to this incredible life!

I imagine the day you were born was a typical winter day. It was cold and sunny as your mom labored to bring you into this world. Your dad was probably pacing with all the excitement and worries of a new father…wondering how he was going to do it all, concerned about keeping the bills paid and trying to be the kind of dad he hoped to become when you arrived.

There was a group of eager grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends and neighbors awaiting news of your safe arrival while they planned and dreamed of the days ahead with you as a part of the family and community.

Your mom most likely teetered between joyful anticipation and indescribable pain as she worked with the calm nurses who coached her through the hardest moments. At the appointed time with one final push, she gave you an exit from the comforting warmth and darkness of her womb into this bright noisy world.

Doctors checked you over and nurses cooed at your sweet hands and nose. Your family welcomed you into this grand adventure of life and carefully counted your fingers and toes as you squinted into the bright lights of this new world.

I like to think that I was dressed in my patchwork blue art smock sitting at a tiny desk in a small classroom. My miniature bottle of school glue was helping a herd of cotton ball sheep make a home in a green crayon pasture when you arrived.

My soul knew you had come and it made me giggle with unexplained joy. It took years to find you but my heart always knew you were there and was certain I’d know you when we finally connected. It is a silly notion perhaps, but that’s how it all plays out in my head.

There weren’t any heralding trumpets or grand proclamations to announce your arrival outside of those who loved you first except perhaps the angel that whispered it to my soul. Most of the world was completely unaware of the arrival of another little guy ready to chart his path in this life.

Life and love began to sculpt and shape you. Family and friends helped you learn who you were and who you weren’t as you discovered who you wanted to be. You grew and you learned. You tried and worked and practiced. You chased your dreams — finding some and losing others along the way.

Over the years, you grew through rough patches and victories and matured through triumphs and tragedies. You discovered passions and savored joy. You tasted sorrow and the bitter pill of disappointment. You have been lost and felt invisible. You have been the strength and pathfinder for others.

It has been my privilege to walk with you for about 900 days of the 17,155 days you have spent on this big spinning blue ball so far. The stories of your boyhood intrigue me as the spark of your youth in your eyes dances when you share the days that made you who you are today. There is a passion in you that rises as you talk about how you learned to compete and strive for excellence as an athlete and student. A well-hidden tinge of sadness and pain flickers as you reminisce about those you have loved and lost who took pieces of your heart as they left.

There are hundreds of things that uniquely make you who you have become in this life. But, what stands out most of all is the intentional way you move in the world. Your life has provided some opportunities and you have blazed trails to gain others so you can gather wisdom and experience to reach whatever you desire. Yet you live from your heart with a sincere desire for your life to make a difference in the world. There is so much about you to love and admire, but your beautiful heart is a rare treasure.

Perhaps there were no royal proclamations on the day you arrived and the world did not shift on its axis, but your arrival and all of the life that you have lived whether through choice, divine grace, or happenstance have made the world a better place.

A favorite phrase has been the days are long and the years are short. Time has a funny way of speeding up as you get older. There is no way to know where this life will lead and what unexpected adventures await you in the days ahead. But if where you are today is any indicator, I am looking forward to sharing the next 20,000 days with you to see where this journey leads.

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