You try so hard.

You do. All the time. And yet, when I try to point out how much effort of will that takes I can see that you don't believe me.

You are truly the sweetest boy I know. Good at heart. An honest to goodness angel. I try and try to communicate that I believe this to be true about you but I feel like I never get through.

Someday you'll be bigger and older and maybe you'll be ready to hear it when you read this. I hope so, because you really are a wonderful person. I promise I'm going to keep trying. It's probably me somehow- I'm just not saying it often or loud enough, or I spend more time saying Don't and Quit. Or I say it often, but not often enough because you're paying attention to the Don'ts and Quits.

When it's all said and done, I know you're going to be just fine. I wish I could spare you some of the pain of growing up. Open your eyes to how amazing you are, how pointless and petty other people's attentions can be.

I love you so much,
Mom