​To You My Son, As You Grow

To my son, as you grow, remember you’re loved.

You’re getting harder to lift. Bigger, and clever. I need to lift weights so I won’t have to say never when you want to come up and be safe in my arms where I can cuddle you close and keep you from harm.

Soon you won’t be so little and you’ll be able to see what life’s all about when you stop being wee. There’s love and there’s games and there’s joy and there’s work. There’s friends and there’s family and hobbies and hurts.

Your worries will change from tidying your games to things you’re currently too young for me to explain

These worries will grow and they’ll take over your mind, these insurmountable beasts will make peace harder to find. The beasts take different shapes to all of us and still even grown ups must battle them against their best will. I can’t take your controller, I can’t fight them for you, but I’ll always be there to help out as player two

Remember you’re loved. We can beat anything together, from the toughest End Boss to the bad Scottish weather.

And for the many good times with no pain and no rain and when friends will all play, even then I’ll still say, remember you’re loved. My love will not just come out when required or needed but it’s with you always though sometimes unseen or unheeded.

To my boy, as you grow, remember you are loved.