Dear Nate,

Dear Nate,

Today I would have been calling to wish you happy birthday. It would have been early since Eliora had to get going for a school day and most likely you would have been grumbling that I woke you up and that your birthday was yesterday. You might have kept it short and called me back later. I would have switched my ringtone for you this year. No longer when you called would I get to hear the Lady Gaga Paparrazzi song but I think I might have put you as 'Call Me Maybe' by Carly Jepsen. (Since you would have been the one to send me the youtube video of the girls swim team singing it). This of course was during the Olympics when we both LOVED the opening ceremonies (especially Lord Voldemort and the parachuting queen) although I would have thought the industrial revolution scene was cooler and you would have liked the technology scene. This afternoon we might have talked about going to see The Hobbit when it comes out in 4D and you might have said that it could not be as good as The Hunger Games - which I would remind you that you still needed to read. (No worries, I got the audio for you for Christmas). By now you might have finished your culinary education and be working in some swanky restaurant somewhere. I would be begging you to visit but you would say that Midland grocery stores have too few items for your cooking needs (and you'd be right) and that it's hard to visit a home without one ipad in it. We might have exchanged calls and texts about the girls, politics (you didn't care who won as long as the gas prices got lowered), Hurricane Sandy (why did they name this one after a Grease star?) In short, we would have had fun.

Wherever you are Nate I hope you know that you were missed this year. That you were not forgotten at Thanksgiving. That mom still has pictures of you next to her computer (although the rest of us are conspiciously absent....but you always knew you were the favorite ;) That you are still and will always be loved.

Tonia