Dear Senior Buds,
Thank you again for the phenomenal surprise baby shower you threw me the last time I attended the group before my maternity leave. I can’t even tell you how moved and SURPRISED I was. I am excited to let you know that my baby was born last week, and I can’t wait for you to meet him. His name is Jett and I like to call him Mr. Jett because he is such an old soul – must be from the nine whole months he spent listening to your stories ;) His eyes are sincere and alert, and he seems to like jazz and spa music more than typical baby lullabies, ha!
One of the most amazing things in the past week is to watch my elder son, 21-month-old Kian, grow into his shoes as Big Brother. At first, he was curious about Little Brother but not quite sure what to do. Then day by day, you can see him open his big heart some more, to a point that I can now fully say he loves his little brother. I know, because he has started handing his favorite books to Jett to read, and covering Jett’s arms with stickers – you have to really impress Kian to even earn a single sticker, so I would think Jett passed the sticker test. Kian also likes to walk by the bassinet when Jett is napping to check on him, stopping to wave and smile and give a gentle kiss, not realizing I am usually watching. As you can tell, I am loving being a new mom of two, and it makes me want to be a better parent than ever before.
As I think about what kind of parent I aspire to be, I think about everything you have taught me. And I want you to know, beyond the most classic bedtime stories or the latest animation movies, yours are the stories that I want my boys to hear. Guided by your voices, I know I can show them that life is not always happy and not always sad, but when you add the happy times and rough patches together, what you get is a big, beautiful world.
Have tons of fun with Jana, Cassie, Rachel while I am on break, and keep those words of wisdom coming – my boys and I and all our readers are listening and cheering you on! In the coming weeks, I will continue to read your stories as volunteers send them to me, and I will continue to share them with our readers here online.
Love, Benita