For My Middle Child

Dearest David,

Today you are sick. It's nothing very serious--just a simple intestinal illness, it seems--but it's been enough to send you to the couch to lie down and sleep most of the day (and to send me to the laundry room with vomit-covered sheets and clothes!). :)

I'm not worried about you (really, I'm not), but the thought does cross my mind every time one of you boys is sick: what if this is something serious? What if something happens to this child of mine? What if you die?

I can say without hesitation that I simply cannot imagine life without you--not just for me, but for our whole family, too. I find it impossible to fathom how Josiah would get along without you. You look up to him so much and follow in his footsteps in so many ways...but you are a huge influence on him as well. What would he do without you? Without you, the gap between Josiah and Tobin would seem so large; you are truly a bridge between them.

How would we survive in the evenings without you? What would Daddy do without his little cuddle bug to snuggle with when he comes home from work? What would Grandpa and Grandma do without your smiling face to welcome them and your little arms to hug them?

How could Tobin grow up without you to hold his hand?

And how could I ever survive without my little ball of sunshine to light my days?

I've heard that middle children sometimes feel "lost" in their families, not possessing the uniqueness of being either oldest or youngest. I don't know if you'll ever feel this way, and I pray that you don't. But if you do, I hope you remember how loved and adored you are.

You are absolutely indispensable to our family. Of course, each member of our family is essential! But you, my little David dear, hold an unspeakably special place in our family as a whole--and in the hearts of each of us individually.

I thank God every day that He chose me to be your mother. I am not worthy of this gift--but I am grateful.

With all my love,
Mommy


~ pictures by Lisa, of course :)