Sixteen years. Sixteen years since that first cry, that first grasp of my finger, that first overwhelming wave of love. And here we are, on your 16th birthday, a milestone that feels as monumental to me as it likely does to you.

I love you infinity times infinity, and yes, that may sound like an over-the-top math equation, but it’s the only way to measure the immeasurable. No greater love exists, not in this world or the next. And with that love comes the greatest wish—to protect you from all the hurt, all the heartache. Yet, here’s the rub: the very heartache I want to shield you from is also the one I feel knowing that one day, you’ll move on.

You’ll spread your wings, take flight, and carve out your own path. And that’s how it should be. It’s what I’ve always wanted for you. But it’s also the thought that catches in my throat, that tugs at my heart in the quiet moments when I think of you no longer being here, under this roof, where I can check on you in the middle of the night.

But then, there’s pride. So much pride that it swells in me, crowding out the sadness, the worry. Pride in the person you’ve become, in the man you’re becoming. And that love—my infinity times infinity love—sustains me through it all. Because no matter where you go, no matter how far you fly, that love stays with you, wrapped around you like an invisible cloak.

So here’s to you, my 16-year-old, my infinite love. May your journey ahead be as boundless as the love I have for you. And may you always know that, wherever you go, my heart goes with you, infinity times infinity.