This year flew by, yet some of the days felt like the longest days we've ever lived. We thought the newborn days were tough with you. Your day/night confusion was awful and our lost sleep left us feeling like zombies. Yet that feeling of being completely drained and exhausted wasn't just for the newborn phase. These teen years have been just as challenging, but we try our best to focus on good days.
A year ago, we just began to unravel the mystery of your struggles with mental and physical health. You were diagnosed with IBS due to stress and anxiety and we were completely shocked because you usually have a very carefree demeanor. As Freshman year wrapped up, you were more than ready for summer to start. That break from school was much needed for everyone and you made the most of your days. You loved football camp/conditioning, spent a lot of time going to the gym with your free summer pass, and even got your first job. You loved working at Raffy's and were amazing at interacting with customers young and old alike! It was an added bonus to finally get some money in your bank account. To this day, you still do not have the ability to go to a store without feeling the need/urge to buy something. Hopefully you'll outgrow that at some point!
It was a breath of fresh air to see you back to "normal" in the summer. We had a few fun vacations. Your favorite was definitely the trip to Cedar Point. We spent the entire day at the park and rode every roller coaster that we could. You probably could've spent an entire week there and would've never been bored of it. It's hard to believe that you were terrified of roller coasters just a few years ago! Aside from the trip to Cedar Point and Michigan, we also made a couple trips to the lake. That is definitely one of your happy places where we see the kid in you come to the surface. You also had a blast going to the lake in August and taking your best friend, Micah.
Speaking of best friends, there aren't enough words of gratitude to explain how thankful we are that God has blessed you with some of the greatest friends. You have grown up alongside some great kids and seeing you all turn into young adults is a blast. In a sermon not long ago, the pastor said that we are the sum of our five closest friends. If that's really true (and we think it definitely is) you are in a really good spot! We know that it hasn't been easy to find your way socially with many of your teammates and classmates, but you have all you really need in your closest group of friends and that's a huge blessing! We hope you always see the value in finding people who build you up and can connect with you on a spiritual level. Your youth group friends are the real deal and that's no coincidence.
Sports are still a huge part of your life. If you're not playing them, you're watching them or talking about them. You started the school year playing football and seemed to have a better year with your teammates. You bonded with your O-Line guys and made some great memories. Despite a setback with an ankle injury, you recovered quickly and got back to playing as soon as possible. It was an especially exciting season because you got to practice and tag along with varsity during their playoff run. Football ended and you got a total of two days to recoup before jumping into wrestling. It was a tough season because you fell into the heavyweight weight class, but were at the VERY bottom of it. We are incredibly impressed, however, by your commitment and dedication throughout the season. Despite knowing you'd have to wrestle kids who were sometimes 50 pounds heavier than you, you gave it your all and didn't quit. Your positivity and team mentality doesn't go unnoticed and is one of our most favorite character traits in you. It was even the determining factor for your placement on the volleyball team - which you were certain you wouldn't make. Hearing that you made the team not because of some amazing talent, but because of your positivity and being the "glue that holds the team together" makes us so proud to be your parents.
We can only hope that the pride and joy we see in you will continue to be something you see in yourself. It's been another tough year for you and you definitely struggle to love yourself like you should. You are smart. After trying to get to the root of your anxiety and mental health struggles, you were finally diagnosed with ADHD. It was a shock at first, but seems to answer a lot of questions. Despite all the challenges that come with ADHD, you finished your first three semesters of high school on the high honor roll! You are handsome. You now tower over everyone in the family and the only way to see your contagious smile is to look up at your face. You've outgrown the awkward chubby phase that we all went through and have turned into a solid young man. You are well rounded. Not only do you love sports, but you have so many other interests and hobbies. We are so proud of you for sticking with band and continuing on in percussion. It's such a joy to watch you perform. But more than anything, you have a great personality. You never take life too seriously and, in doing so, you remind us to do the same. You are a great leader and do an amazing job of making others feel seen and valued. You love to laugh and have an amazing sense of humor. You still have the most sentimental heart and hate change!
Despite your love of consistency and hatred of change, we know that these next few years will bring about some of the most changes that you've experienced thus far. Some of those changes will definitely be harder on us than on you, but no matter what, we are right there with you through it all. You might not always feel it or believe it, but we are your biggest fans. We see so much potential in you and know that God has big plans for your life. We pray that you will continue to let Him be your guide. There is so much noise and so many things are fighting for your attention. If you try your best to tune that out and shift your focus on the faith you have in God, He will guide your steps and lead the way. We promise that we will be right behind you, cheering you with each and every step! Happy birthday, Caleb....we love you more than you'll ever know!
Love,
Dad and Mom
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