‘We cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives loving you, protecting you, and doing whatever we need to make you happy’
Beautiful letters penned by two gay dads to the son that has changed their lives have picked up thousands of likes online.
Arejay Encinas and Mauricio Camargo are based in Tuscon, Arizona. They began their journey to parenthood soon after marrying in February 2015. However, it did not prove easy.
The first foster agency they signed up to suddenly had a change or heart before the men attended their first training session.
Husbands Arejay Encinas and Mauricio Camargo and son Dylan enjoy a dip in the ocean.
Beach day! (@zjmauricio | Instagram)
It cancelled their session and told them not to sign up for another. Arejay told Gays With Kids he and Mauricio suspect it was because they realized the two prospective foster-adopters were a male couple.
Undeterred, the men found another agency. The licensing took 6-7 months. Their son, Dylan, was born in January 2017. Arejay and Mauricio took him into their home within days of his arrival.
His adoption was finalized last month and, to celebrate, both dads wrote a letter to their child. They posted the letters on Instagram.
Read the letters below
@ella_wonder | Instagram
Arejay writes: ‘Dearest Dylan,
‘I have wished for you on every star, and prayed for you every night. I feel like I was searching the world for you, but kept coming up empty handed.
‘Honestly, we were discouraged at times and even questioned if we were meant to be parents. But now looking back at it all, we were waiting for YOU this entire time.
‘Waiting for you to light up our lives and waiting for you to complete us in a way we had only dreamt of. I remember holding you for the first time, and falling deeply in love with you and every day that grows with the incredible bond we share. I know our eyes or skin don’t match, but our hearts do.
‘It is difficult at times to hear people say how lucky you are to have us, and how we saved you…when in actuality, you saved us.
‘You gave your daddy and me a new sort of connection as parents and the opportunity to translate all this love we have for one another to something much bigger.
‘I believe where there is great love, there are great miracles, and that is you, our miracle. When it is all finished, you will discover it was never random. Today we officially welcome you to our home, but since day one, you have been the piece that linked us together as a family.
‘We cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives loving you, protecting you, and doing whatever we need to make you happy.
‘Happy Adoption Day my love, thank you for accepting us as your parents for now, and always. We love you to the moon and back.’
Mauricio (left) and Arejay (right): Photo @zjmauricio | Instagram
‘We wished for you even before you were born’
Mauricio writes: ‘Hi stinky,
‘You don’t even know it but yesterday was a very important day for our little family.
‘On January 6th, 2017 your Daddy and I received a phone call that would forever change our lives. We were told that what we had so longed prayed for and dreamt of had arrived on earth. On that day, we saw you for the first time and immediately our hearts did not belong to us anymore.
‘As we walked into that hospital room and held you in our arms, we were living a miracle at one point we didn’t think would happen. The joy and love you bring to us can’t be described!
‘You are that missing piece that completes us in every way. We often hear how could someone have ever given you up, but what they don’t know is that we wished for you even before you were born.
‘You were in our thoughts even though our hearts had not met and now that you are here it feels like it was always meant to be.
‘Every morning I wake up ready to say good morning as you smile and grab my face.
‘I thought I was the happiest man the day I married your daddy, I found a partner that loves me unconditionally and who I want to grow old with. But now I watch him be your daddy and see his love grow even more with every passing day and true happiness is something I know can grasp.
‘Yesterday, October 19th, 2017, we legally became a family though since day one you were part of us! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be your Daddies! Love you cookie!’
