Dear Elliot & Finn,

Today is our last day at home together before I return to work.  Tomorrow, I will send you off into the world at 14-weeks old; though I realize 14 weeks is far longer than many mothers have with their babies, it is far earlier than I would wish to have you in the care of others.  In a perfect world, little boys, I would stay with you every day to laugh and play and snuggle and learn and cry, just like we’ve done for the last three months.  I would give almost anything for the gift of being with you, but I hope someday you will realize that mommies and daddies often have to do things they don’t want to do because they know it will be best for their family.

Before I send you out into this great big world, I have a few wishes and wisdoms for you.

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  • You are my greatest treasures.  You are the most precious gifts that God has ever given me, and I would happily lay down my life for you.  There will be times when I’m not close by, times when you look around and you can’t see my face or hear my voice, but know that you are always carried in my heart and that you can never be too far away to have my love.  I hope you will never doubt that love for a minute.  As Grandma always tells me, “Know that your mama loves you.”
  • Find good people to love and care for you when I’m not there.  Tomorrow, you will have a group of new faces, faces that I don’t yet know with names I have yet to learn, who will care for you 10 hours a day, five days a week.  Eventually, you will go to pre-k, then school, and even off to college someday.  I pray that God will bless you with caregivers, teachers, mentors, and friends who will keep your best in mind, who will make you laugh, wipe your tears, challenge you to try new things, celebrate your successes, and comfort you in your sorrows.
  • Love the world in which you live.  Though evil and sorrow lurks in the world, I believe that there is more good, more light, and more joy.  I hope you learn to love people and explore your world with eagerness.  I hope you find new things and places something to be explored and enjoyed, not feared and avoided.
  • Make the world a better place.  I hope you will be kind to others.  I hope you will stand up for what is right and stand against what is wrong.  I hope that you will be a friend to the weak.  Be strong of character, courageous, and most of all, show love to everyone.
  • Mistakes and hard times can make you better or bitter.   Choose better.  We all have follies, make mistakes, and enter times of difficulty in our lives.  When faced with these things, we can choose to let bitterness grow in our hearts or we can learn from our mistakes and hardships.  We can let them make us stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.  I hope you always choose to be made better.
  • Nothing is too big or small to tell us.  We value your words (when you have them!) and your thoughts.  Never be afraid to talk to your Papa or me about any problem or joy, big or small.  I hope you will always know that you can trust us with your secrets.  I promise we will do our best to be open and honest with you anytime you seek our counsel, even when it pains us to do so.
  • You have great value.  You are my precious sons, who have immeasurable value to me; I believe, however, that you have even more value to God.  I hope that you will always remember that you matter, that you are important, that you have worth.  Be confident and humble; these traits are not opposites, but true companions.  Be confident in yourself, in your family, in your God.
  • Learn everything you can.  Have a thirst for knowledge and soak up everything you can.  Right now, you’re little sponges soaking it all in.  You imitate our faces.  You practice talking.  Your eyes study everything with the inquisitiveness that only a baby possesses.  Never stop wanting to learn; it will take you far and make life ever so much more fun.
  • Laugh as much as you can.  You haven’t learned to laugh yet, but I can tell that any day now, you will be giggling.  I cannot wait to hear your laughter fill our house.  Always look for the humor in every situation, and you’ll have less wrinkles and more great memories!
  • Hold on to your brother.  Though, I have to leave you tomorrow, you will always have one familiar thing nearby: your brother.  You have each other, for which I will always be thankful.  You get to take a little bit of home and family with you.  Though like any siblings, I know you will sometimes fight and need space from each other, I encourage you to always return quickly to friendship.  Learn to listen to the other and value what they say.  Equally celebrate your similarities and differences.  Love the special bond that you have.  No matter how you feel at the moment, always stand together.  I hope you will find comfort, laughter, adventure, love, and friendship in each other.
  • Know that your parents pray for you daily.  Every day, we pray for your safety, happiness, & health.  We pray that you will grow to be good and honorable men, who love God and people.  We pray that you will be happy children who know that they are loved.  We pray for wisdom to parent you exceptionally.  We pray for your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual development and well being.  And tomorrow, my dear boys, I will start praying that God will go with you where I cannot, that He will watch over you, and bring you safely back into my arms at the end of the day.

Even though I’m crying as I write to you, I’ll do my best to hide my tears tomorrow.  I want you to believe that this is simply a new and exciting day, full of new adventures.  But, someday, when you are grown and have to leave your children with someone else, call me and cry;  I will tell you how much it broke my heart to let you go but assure you that you turned out just fine and so will your babies!

I love you for always,

Mama