Dear Brendan (Part 7 of 12)

Brendan, I hate to say it but sometimes I look at you and I still think of you as my little boy. Even worse I have to think to myself that your mom must have had a lot to do with it because you turned out to be a much better person than I ever was.

I know you have heard me say how sensitive and how loving of a person you are but I am not sure if I told you how special of a trait that is, especially in today’s day and age. This is important too because I want you to know how extraordinary that makes you.

Before I took your dad from you I often worried that your anti-social, angry, disjointed father would have rubbed off on you but thank god that the anxiety that had I caused myself was needless. You are your own person and you always will be, you are amazing.

I have to admit I am surprised at how well we got along as you grew up. I can think of only two arguments that we have ever had and only ONE time I needed to use any sort of discipline. And guess what? On all three occasions it was because you were being your own man.

Of course the biggest disagreement we had was when you came to me after high school and told me, “I am not going to Maryland.” Yes, even though I had worked 20 years, at a place I never wanted to work, to make sure you had your tuition paid. God I was so angry

But, eventually after we both had calmed down you came back to me and said, “I will pay for my education on my own.”

Okay, so I stewed for a while and okay, I never told you how proud I was of you for doing exactly what you did. I think that was the moment I realized you weren’t my baby boy anymore, you were a man.

Ha, even the one time I had to discipline you, blossomed from the fact you were going to be you no matter what. You were five and I was trying to get you back in the car at McDonalds but you refused. I used my parents trick on you demanding you have until the count of three to do what you were told. “One, two….I said two….Damnit Brendan.”

I just watched as you counted back to me….”One, two and finally three.”

Brendan, and I mean this wholeheartedly, like your sister, I would not change anything at all about you. If I were a homeless woman, if I had wronged you, if I had done some outlandish crime, I do not think there is a human being alive that would have the capability to show as much empathy or compassion as you.

And you have just the right amount of modesty to make the world see you for the amazing person that you are. You are one of the most handsome men I know but you don’t act like it. I would have been in a lot of trouble if I had, had the looks you have when I was younger.

And because of that, I admire you for your faithfulness, kindheartedness and dedication that you have to the people that you love. I was never so gracious but you do it without missing a beat.

Never lose that, it makes you original, it will elevate you to a position where you will have the world at your fingertips because that is a rare quality to have.

And then, like your sister, I took your dad away from you too. I knew that you had been surrounded by women your entire life, your mom, your sister, your half-sister, your step-mom and grandmother and without notice, your dad was no longer your dad.

You never faltered, you never showed me anything other than a complete and steadfast dedication to who I had become. And you, like your sister, held my hand and guided me through the scariest points in my life.

It didn’t matter where I asked you to go, you were there. I will never forget that Brendan and to the world it shows what wonderful human being you have become.

For all of these things and for the man you are, I am proud of you; you are my hero.

Merry Christmas buddy and have a happy New Year.

Signed a very proud moddy.

Kendra Chelsea

#Brendan