A love letter to Christopher, my special son…

I love you to the moon and back. You mean more to me than the air that I breath. You gave my life meaning and a purpose. You saved me.

You changed the world for the better when you came into it. You taught us all what unconditional love really meant.

What you are not: you are not a retard, nor defective, you are not a mistake, nor are you a label, you are not a burden, you are not weird… well maybe a little.

What you are: you have immense value, you matter, you are a son, a brother, a nephew, an uncle, a cousin, a stepson and a friend, and, you are so very loved by everyone.

You are brave, independent and funny. And you drive your little red cart with unadulterated joy.

You are a heartbreaker and a heart healer all in one.

You make a difference. You are my hero for so many reasons and you once saved a toddler from drowning. You are awesome and kind and, you saved your mom too.

You have extra sensory powers and an emotional acuity that is breathtaking. You are comfortable in your skin, non-judgmental and you love unconditionally.

You are sometimes a pain in the butt.

You are super cute…way cuter than Justin Bieber and oh so very beautiful. You are smart, you are a teacher of men.

You are my little boy and little man at once. Your disability does not define you. You are an angel on earth and you have the ear of God.

You are my son and I wouldn’t trade you for a million, billion trillion, kazillion dollars.

Thank you for choosing me to be your mom.

The Gift of Christopher Smith