To the Child I Kiss Goodnight Through the Stars

They tell you that love is soft lullabies and warm blankets, but they never prepare you for the silence after the song ends.

For the echo in the hallway when the small footsteps are no longer there.

My son, you were born on a morning so quiet it felt like the world paused to welcome you. A sleeping sky, a waiting sun. And then your cry—sharp, real, filling the room and my soul in the same moment. I had known love before, I thought. But this was something else. This was home being handed to me in a bundle of warmth and wrinkles.

From that moment, you became every season in my life.

The cooling breeze on the hottest day, the glowing ember in the darkest storm.

You laughed, and flowers bloomed.

You cried, and my heart broke in ways I never knew were possible.

I was fierce for you.

I would have battled dragons with bare hands.

I would have screamed at the sky just to shield you from one tear.

And when you slept, tiny fingers curled near your face, I whispered promises into the air.

I’ll always be here. I’ll never let you feel alone. I’ll protect you even when you don’t see me.

But life…

Life has this way of scattering the people we love like autumn leaves in the wind.

Now, the bed is made, untouched. The toys sit where you left them, little soldiers on eternal duty.

And I am here, still whispering those same promises.

Only now, I whisper them to the stars.

Because you’re not here. Not tonight.

Maybe not for many nights.

And I know it’s okay.

You’re growing. You’re discovering.

The world has opened its doors to you, and your brave little heart walked right in.

Still, some nights—like tonight—I sit with a cup of cold tea and look at your picture.

You, missing a front tooth, grinning like the sun lived inside you.

And my eyes blur, like they always do, not from sadness exactly…

But from missing. From loving.

From that ache only a mother knows.

Sometimes I think,

If he knew how much I missed him, would he fly back on the wings of his dreams?

But then I stop myself.

Because this love, it’s not a cage.

It’s the wind beneath your wings.

It’s the voice you hear when you’re far away and don’t know why you suddenly feel brave.

So every night, when the world goes quiet, I do the same thing.

I step outside, tilt my head back, and find the brightest star.

The one that flickers like it knows I’m watching.

And I say—quietly, always quietly—

"Goodnight, my little one."

"Wherever you are, feel me with you. Feel my love wrap around you like the softest blanket. Sleep safe. Dream sweet. I’ll be here, loving you across every mile, every moment."

There are no goodbyes between us.

Just these nightly “goodnights” whispered to the heavens.

Because no matter how far you roam, my heart goes with you.

And I’ll love you until the stars forget how to shine.

And even after that, I’ll still be whispering…

“Goodnight, my darling. Good night....”