Happy Birthday, Stephen

I want to wish my middle son a very happy 23rd birthday today!  Dan was supposed to go get him today for the weekend, but we woke up to 2 feet of snow and the promise of more today.  So the trip is postponed until tomorrow.

I miss Stephen and do feel badly that I didn't even send him a card because he was going to be home!  However, we will have his birthday celebration on Saturday.  He won't get home until tomorrow night (it's a 10 hour round trip and Dan can't leave until mid-morning).

In the meantime, I've come up with an acronym to describe him!

S = serious.  He has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh a lot, but he really is the most serious about life of all my children. 

T = tender-hearted.  I still remember the time a boy was constantly bullying him at school.  I got so mad that one day I said, "You just need to grab him by the shirt and tell him to KNOCK IT OFF!"  (I know.  Not very Christ-like of me).  Stephen left the room and about ten minutes came back into the room with tears in his eyes and said, "Mom, I can't do that."  "My heart tells me it's not the right thing to do." 

E = example.  He is an example to me of how to live your life with transparency.  He is not afraid to admit his faults and is quick to ask forgiveness.

P = passionate.  He is passionate about his walk with the Lord.  He desires to follow God

H = helpful.  He is always willing to give a helpful hand to whoever needs it. 

E = Empathetic.  He is able to empathize with people and understand where they are coming from.

N = nature-lover.  He loves the outdoors and anything to do with nature.  He is happiest when he is hiking or boating or doing a multitude of outdoor activities.

Happy Birthday, Stephen.  I love you and can't wait to see you tomorrow!