Dear Adalee,

We chose your name because it means "kind", and there never seems to be enough of it in the world--or even, though we hate to admit it, in our own hearts.

Our hope for you, sweet Adalee, is that you will not only feel the healing balm of kindness as you navigate life in our beautiful, yet broken world, but that you will also have the courage and wisdom to give your kindness as a gift to those you encounter along your way.

As you grow, little one, may you know how great a gift you are to us already. Your dad and I will never forget the wonder and joy we felt when we held you for the first time and gazed down in utter surprise; no amount of time or thought could have prepared us for the miracle of your existence: that once, you were not, and now you are.

We spent days marvelling over the perfection of your tiny ears alone. I am certain that days, months, and years will not be long enough to stop marvelling at you.

I suppose that's the love of a parent that has been spoken and penned, eulogized and wailed, celebrated and cherished since the beginning of time--though it cannot be understood until experienced.

Thank you, little Adalee, for introducing us to that love and to a depth in our hearts we had not yet seen; that alone is a kindness in and of itself.

Love,
Your Mum