We went to two of your birthday parties this year – one on your actual birthday and one a few days later at Take Flight.  thanks for inviting Grammy and me!

Both were lots of fun, but the second one had some special ingredients: demanding, challenging, scary and rewarding.

You’re not a big fan of heights (you’ve told me this before), so it was cool how you tackled your fears.  That’s an important thing to do in life because one of the best ways to get to a better place is by pushing ourselves and believing in ourselves and trying new – sometimes scary – things.  That’s how we can boost our confidence.

We say to ourselves, “hey, look at what I just did.  I didn’t think I could do it, I was afraid to try it, but I did and you know what?  I feel better about myself. I accomplished something I never thought I could do. I did it, and I survived and I’m going to remember how it feels when I get myself out of my safety cocoon and explore new things.”

Always remember this Ben.  Happy birthday to the coolest 11 year old in the world.  I love you lots.