My sweet boy - it still seems unreal to me that I am writing my first letter to you - my child - my son - my soon to be first born. What a special child you are! Will never fully know or understand the depths of the love you daddy and I have for- or how many people in the world love you and are so thankful for you. Rowan, you wouldn't believe the mass amounts of people that have prayed for you and hoped for you and have loved you from the moment of our first prayer for you. You may not ever meet all these people - but your daddy and I will try our best to show to you just how loved you are - how many people love and adore you - and just how special and adored you are......by people outside your blood family!
When we found out that we were expecting you - we threw around names for quite sometime. Thankfully you aren't a girl because trying to find a girl name was stressful for daddy and I :) We knew shortly from the beginning that if we were to have a boy we wanted a strong name - something that you could really grow into. ROWAN KEITH! The meanings of names may not be the strongest or the most masculine - but the meaning of the names to us is more than I could ever hope for you. You see Rowan, you were named after 2 mean that I only wish you would get to meet on this side of Heaven. While, I truly believe they already know you and you already know them and that they somehow played a HUGE part in you being given to us - the ache of never seeing them hold you is very strong to mommy. Rowan, you were named after your 2 great grandfathers (mommy's grandpas) and they are 2 of the greatest men I have ever loved and ever known. As you grow up, you will probably catch mommy cry a time or two as she looks at you or tells you about them, because so much of you is a reminder of everything they were. The impact they had on my life I will never be able to match - they touched me and inspired me in so many ways. You are so fortunate to be named after them. They love you so much - I just know it.
Rowan - my hopes and wishes for you are so grand that it would take me a while to put them into words. As your mommy and with the help of your daddy we will try our best to teach you love, tolerance and respect. We hope to raise in a way that you never doubt God's love for you or our love for you. We want only life's greatest moments for you - we know that obstacles will come and I hope you never forget we are always on your side. We not always agree with your actions or your decisions - we love you no matter what. So many great men in your life Rowan that I hope you will have parts of them in the man you one day become.
I hope you are stubborn and strong headed like your great grandpa Krisher (Neil ROWAN) - but only when it comes to things you believe in. Like, him I hope you find your passions and your believes and never let anyone stray you from them - although I hope you keep an open mind that not everyone will value the same things you do - and that's ok - one of the great things in America is we are all entitled to our own opinions and values as long as work together for the greater good. Rowan, like your great grandpa Krisher I hope you like Jesus more than any other - I hope you see the greater plan for your life and know that His way is always the best way - I hope your build a strong relationship with Jesus that leaves light shining the others want to know what it is about you and leaves them searching for Jesus as well. Rowan, I hope you reach a point in your life, like grandpa Krisher where the idea of Heaven is so much greater than the pain and suffering of Earth (although I hope this is a long long long long time from now...like when your 100 :) )
I hope you find the humor in life like your great grandpa Ehrhart (Robert KEITH) - I hope you laugh at everything and make jokes to see others smile. This was one of my favorite things about grandpa Ehrhart - he always found the funny side of any situation. I hope that you will do anything for anyone - no matter their story and no matter their circumstance - I hope you try to see the good in people. Rowan, maybe you will find a love for crossword puzzles, black coffee and fried egg sandwiches with mustard (mommy loves 2 of the 3 and one of them is not crossword puzzles)
I may be a little biased - but Rowan, your papaw is one of the greatest guys you will ever meet in your life - seriously! Mommy couldn't always say that as there was a time when papaw wasn't my favorite person - but he is now - at least one of my favorites! I hope you are a worker like he is - he may not always enjoy his job - but he always shows up and he always gives 100% - you won't see him call in. What you will see is him give so much attention to you - I wish you could have seen his face when mommy told him she was expecting you - he is so excited. Papaw will be one of your biggest fans, he will practice sports with you, he will try to be at grandparents day with you, he will probably buy you your first bowling ball and I can almost guarantee that he will sing "you are my sunshine" to you a time or two.....or 1,000.
But most of all - I hope you are everything your daddy is. I hope you have his sense of humor (and I say that with a lot of reservation - lol) your daddy can always make me laugh and most people around him! I hope you are a dedicated and hard worker - what you will find is that daddy works for the railroads and often times has to stay over night in over cities - but don't for a second ever think daddy doesn't miss you when he is gone. He is so excited for you to get here - to have a son and to do father/son activities with you. I can guarantee that when daddy is home you will have all of his attention. He is looking forward to you playing sports and taking you to football games. I hope you love life like he does - always up for an adventure and easily makes friends - I haven't found anyone yet that doesn't enjoy being around daddy. Most of all I hope you are everything he is.
My first letter to you turned into a novel :) But I have so much to say! Above anything you ever read, ever hear or ever feel - know you are loved more than life. We prayed for you Rowan - we hoped for you and we have loved from before there was ever a thought of you. ou are more special than mommy or daddy will ever be able to express.
We are half way there to meeting you!!
Love always,
Mom :)
