First Born

There’s a very special place

in a corner of every mom’s heart

Where the love of her

          first born abides.

Nothing can steal or erase

          her joy, pride, and affection

For the precious child

          she’s carried inside.

We read parenting books

          on what to expect before October 6, 1983.

The afternoon arrived, we rearranged our lives,

          for now we were a family of three.

At 18 months, you scared me half to death,

          You were no where that I could see.

A giggle spun me around, and I saw you

          looking down from the top of the refrigerator at me.

Night times are hard for 3 year old boys

          to calm down and get ready for bed.

But when monsters came to play, we used the magic spray

          and swept them outside on their heads.

One day when you were five, we stayed home from school

         my tummy was feeling very wrong.

With a nod and a wink, you said it must be

   the baby you’d prayed for, for oh, so long.

   (We laughed.  How cute!  Oh, my, could it be?     ….Andy?)                                  

When you were 11, you called the superintendent,

to tell him the cafeteria meals weren’t up to par.

And that year the teachers sent you to leadership camp,

          for they knew you’d go very far!

          (and could end up being their bossJ)

Middle school was challenging.  High school was, too;

          But you made the grades and loved to play ball.

With friends at every school and a smile that lit every room,

         Everyone loved you,  and we loved you most of all.

  

You grew into a young man facing darkness and fear

          as you began your own journey in life.

But we never doubted and knew you’d find your way back

          home through the dark clouds, confusion, and strife.

Adam, you blessed us with angels we adore;

          Blaze and Addy are gifts from above.

You’re a wonderful father who loves his kids with all his heart,

          and a daddy who has built a home filled with love.

You fell in love with a princess we’d prayed for all your life.

         Lauren has joined our family.

Now, you’re blessing us with a new babe

          in the middle of next year.

        We can’t wait to know if it’s “he” or “she”.

Through the sunny days and clouds we have loved you more

          than even we can truly understand.

For you’re always hidden in the corner

          where the first born abides

         and in the palm of God’s almighty hand.

Everyday we give thanks

          for the sound of your voice

On the phone with Dad

          or sipping coffee visiting with me.

We thank God for watching over you

          and answering our prayers

To become the man

          you were destined to be.

You are :  a man filled with love, hope,

          and laughter, integrity, respect,

A  gentle spirit

        with a zeal for life that never ends.

You are:  Son, Brother, Husband,

                   Uncle, Dad, Cousin,

           Grandson, Nephew, and Friend.

Adam Dwain Garrett, we celebrate YOU today and

every day!  God gave us an amazing gift 31 years ago.

He gave us YOU!  We love you more than more!

                                   Mom and Dad J    10/6/2014

A Gift for the World

                    A Gift for the World

On the day he was born,

            the family smiled and danced!

His heart beat so fast,

            and a new song played for the world.

When he was three, he made everyone laugh

            with his funny phrases

            and jokes he didn’t even understand.

He shared from his heart,

            and joy was released into the lives

            of all those around him.

He began school and failed to leave

            his creative spirit safely at home.

His heart and mind struggled to beat freely,

            so, his mom broke the chains,

            and the boy soared to the beat

            of his own heart.

In 6^th grade, the boy fell in love with music.

            He sang and began to write down the songs

            that flowed so effortlessly from deep within.

            The world applauded.

During his high school years, many things changed.

            The boy became a man;

            the tenor, a bass;

            the young man, a gentleman.

His heart was drawn to the world of travel,

            seeking new friends and adventures

            in faraway lands.

He sang new songs, learned new languages, and

            made forever friends wherever he went,

            but his heart was still heavy.

  

The young man had always wondered why

he saw and felt things differently than others did.

He was troubled.

He’d never chosen to walk against the tides of life,

but he must find his own path and destiny.

So, he searched his heart

 and the lives and hearts of all he met.

He prayed for answers that didn’t quickly come.

He wrestled with emotions, fears,

            and all he’d learned at home, school, and at church.

What he found opened up a new, unique path for his life,

            of which he’d never dreamed,

            and the heaviness disappeared.

God revealed to him the gifts he had and must share:

            gifts of love, joy, compassion;

            songs of hope and freedom to create masterpieces;

            the brilliance to learn languages

           and love people of all races, creeds, and cultures,

            because God first loved him.

And the young man wrote:

            “All that I am is because of what God has made me.”

  

Andy Garrett, you are a very precious gift to the world.

You know who you are and what you believe.

Take your gifts and genius and make this world

a better place for having you in it!

                                              Love, MomJ