Last night, I stayed with Hunter and held him until he fell asleep. He is so big. I experienced a myriad flashes of who he is: the infant tucked into my arm. The exuberant boy who laughs and runs and weeps with equal abandon. Deeply immersed in the world of a book. Wondering at the delicacy of a butterfly or the vibrance of a radiant sunset, his lips slightly parted in a silent, awestruck "Wow!" The young man he is becoming, showing new signs of responsibility and thoughtfulness. I see him as a teenager, a man, a husband, a father, and my heart swells with inexpressible love that starts to flow from my eyes.

"So few years to give you wings to fly --
show you the stars to guide your ship by."

I love you, Hunter. You will always be my little boy.