Father’s Day prompts letters of love

With Father’s Day this Sunday, I thought I would share a letter my husband sent to our sons several years ago, and one son’s response.

Dear Son,

It seems only yesterday I cuddled you in my arms. What tiny bundles of love … when I held you for the first time, I knew it was love at first sight. The tiny chubby hands and feet, the angelic radiance in your little round faces, the unconditional love a baby brings … all of this dear boys, could only reflect love from our heavenly father.

Throughout your childhood, teens and adulthood, I have only grown to love you more.

There is something I want to tell you. It’s the most important thing I can ever say.

I want you to be in heaven with me. Please be there! We will never have to say goodbye. We will never be separated. There will not be any more pain, or sadness. It will be a glorious time, being together forever and we will praise the one who made it all possible throughout eternity.

Be there, my sons, and tell your children and your children’s children to be there too.

The kingdom of heaven is worth it all. It’s a kingdom of love, and it’s love without end. Think of it. It will last forever.

Can you fathom an eternal kingdom of joy unspeakable, joy without end?

I shall be anxiously waiting at heaven’s gates to welcome you home once again.

Be there dear children. Please be there! All my love,

Dad

Dear Dad,

I want to talk to you about some things that I find hard to put into words. You have been so good to me as long as I can remember and I want you to realize that I love you more than I can express.

I have such a warm feeling inside of me for you and Mom. I guess you could say I am a part of each of you. I do not know any way to express my feeling except that I love each of you as Jesus must love the Father. I look forward to the day we will all be together in heaven. I know it will be wonderful.

Dad, I hope I can be half the father to my sons you have been to me. You and Mom filled our lives with unexpected blessings. I can think of times we went on weekend trips to the lake and other places to get rocks, which I really enjoyed. You helped me to get a car and helped me to face problems I had from time to time which put pressures on you, that you could have avoided but you cared enough to help me.

I guess it takes time to realize how much parents love their children, but it has really been made aware to me now that I am moving away. I just want to thank you both for all that you have done.

I feel like a part of me is missing. It is hard to leave home for the first time and move so far away. But no matter how far away I am, I can close my eyes and see home … you and Mom, the neighborhood where I grew up, the town and all the people in it that I love.

I will miss getting to see you each day and being close by, but you will be in my thoughts every day. I love you very, very much and God bless each of you. You are both special people that God must love and be proud of.

Thank you Dad for being my dad. Thank you for showing me how to live and how to love. Thank you for loving Mom, my brothers and me. Thank you for blessing my life. But most of all, thank you for showing me that a heavenly Father’s love for his Son is the greatest love of all.

I love you,

Your son