Dear Gideon,
It’s hard to believe we are here. When you were born no one knew what was wrong with you. Your abnormalities didn’t add up to anything the doctors had ever seen; but it was clear that you were unique.
You were so unique that it took 7 months before someone could finally diagnose you. And when that day finally arrived, they didn’t give you much time. Your projected life expectancy was less than one year.
But here we are.
Today you are 5 years old.
Everything about your life has been unexpected. Your life has brought about a range of emotions that I never knew existed. I’ve experienced some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with you as my son. I spent the first 9 months of your life burying all the dreams that a mother has for her son, only to turn around and realize that my dreams for you were small and insignificant when I saw what the Lord was doing with your life. You impact people in a way that we never could have imagined.
There are some who have told us through various outlets that you shouldn’t be here. That because you can’t see or hear, your life is a waste. All because you will never experience all that life has to offer. But your dad and I know that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You have more joy in your whole being than most of us will ever experience in an entire lifetime…even with all 5 of our senses.
You show the world a new way to experience life. B.J. Neblett wrote that, we are the sum total of our experiences. When people experience you, whether in person or through social media, they are not the same. People are better for having known you. And I’m not just mom bragging on you. People tell us this all the time.
We choose to believe that you, Gideon, were created to better the rest of us. To gift us a new experience lest we wallow in self-pity and selfishness. We need to be confronted daily with the realization that joy doesn’t come from what we have or what we don’t have. Rather our joy is in the Lord and the hope that we have in Him.
We know your life has great purpose and we find great joy and great responsibility in being your parents.
Happy 5th Birthday Gideon!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Laynie & Josiah
Happy Birthday Gideon!
Thank you for sharing this. I often think about you and wonder how Gideon and the rest of you are doing. It warms my heart to see his smile!
Thanks Marla!! <3
Happy birthday, dear Gideon! I am thankful for knowing you & your family. The abundance of love surrounding you adds to your amazing warrior spirit. Hugs to you, your dad, your mom, and your sister. Your family means so much to me!
May this birthday be so very special, with many memories made this year and always!
We Love you too Butalla family!!! <3
Happy birthday sweet Gideon! We love you so much! When your cousins talk about you, they say “he laughs all the time!” If only we could all exude that amount of joy every day of our lives. We hope your day is as wonderful as you are.
Love,
Matt, Magen, Brooke, Liv, and Valerie
Love you guys!!! <3
Happy 5th Birthday, dear Gideon!
God bless you more and more!
With love from Gabriel (age 10) (who functions Deafblind and has no one else known in the world to have exactly the specialness that he has) and all his family (in Canada)
Thank you Lewis family!! <3
Happy birthday sweet Gideon! I just love seeing videos of you and the true joy that comes from them! Thanks for sharing Sam! You have such a gift with words and are always so inspiring!
Thanks Shannon!! We miss and love yall!!!
He’s changed my life for the better! Love that little boy. Happy birthday Gideon!
Thanks Taylor!! We feel so blessed to know you!! 🙂
Happy 5th Birthday Gideon !!
Dear Samantha,
Your message was very inspiring to me.
The Church teaches us that we all have a cross to bear in our lives. The harder the cross, the greater our reward in Heaven.
But for living angels like Gideon, you become the cross that he will be bearing during his earthly life.
As years go by, Gideon will be carrying your sorrow, pain and sin, and keep presenting them to our Lord, begging Him for mercy and salvation.
Gideon’s soul is pure, beautiful and unique. Such souls are the closest to Jesus’s heart. You are truly lucky to have this angel in your life.
Keep living your life with a Happy Heart. You’re always in my prayers.
May the Lord bless you and your family.
Walid
Thank you for your encouraging words Walid! Gideon is for sure our little angel. <3 Blessings to you and yours. 🙂