Well, my dear Cole, you are 11 whole years old. You will never know how you changed my entire being. You are so smart and knocking it out of the park in intermediate school. You are trying new things and tuning into your love of baseball. You are so deeply caring about your friends and family that I sometimes worry you are too sensitive and hurt too easy. You make me smile so much yet you can make me so angry. You’re wonderful yet put too much of your worth on others’ considerations. You fight with your brother yet protect him fiercely. You are quick with your sass yet quicker with your remorse. You are brave and try new things yet you doubt your abilities. Eleven is a rough time, Coley. Middle school. Ugh, it’s the trickiest. But you’re doing it. You’re forging ahead and finding yourself and proving yourself and doing it mostly with a funny face and a quick smile. You make me proud and that part comes easy to you. You will never know, no matter your attempts to question it, how much I love you and will forever be in your corner.

Happiest of birthdays my eleven year old boy.