When my wife Natalie and I found out we were having a baby, we had no idea just how much joy, laughter, and utter chaos was about to enter our lives in the form of Oliver James Peterson. From the moment he arrived, giggling and drooling, our hearts were his.
Oliver was a force of nature contained in a pint-sized package. His energy level was absolutely relentless – you’d look away for just a second and he’d be streaking through the house wearing nothing but a Superman cape and that mischievous grin. Catching him was easier said than done too. He was lightning fast, our little Bolt! I have fond memories of chasing him around the backyard, him peering over his shoulder and dissolving into those full-body belly laughs that are a parent’s symphony.
Our kitchen became Oliver’s playground and bakery. He insisted on “helping” anytime mom or I were cooking or baking. More often than not, there would be flour clouds billowing and batter splatters decorating the countertops and floors when he was done “assisting.” But the pure pride on his face presenting us those lopsided, half-eaten cookies was worth every second of the mess. I swear, Oliver single-handedly kept the manufacturers of Wet Wipes in business those early years.
Oliver’s sense of curiosity and wonder was insatiable from day one. When he first discovered “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” we must have read that book cover-to-cover at least a hundred times. Yet he would study each vivid page like it was the first time, hanging on every word, every color, like they were revealing the secrets of the universe to him. I treasured those snuggly moments where the world stopped for us to get lost in a story together.
That same fascination extended to the great outdoors. Our backyard, the local park, you name it – they were his own personal lands of enchantment filled with bugs to befriend, flowers to inspect, leaves to crunch. Oliver’s eyes missed nothing, his tiny hands reaching out to reverently touch and take in every texture, shape and hue of the nature around him. I’ll never forget watching him excitedly chase butterflies, shouting “fly! fly!” as they fluttered ahead of his racing steps.
More than anything, Oliver loved boundlessly and opened our hearts in ways we never imagined. He had an uncanny ability to find just the right kinds of words to make your heart swell, like when he would adorably declare “I love you a million red M&Ms!” His spirit of compassion shone through in the smallest of moments – like the time he cried tears of empathy over a hurt bird until I was able to carefully scoop it up and get it care. His golden-hued heart was truly beyond this world.
When the unimaginable happened, and Oliver’s bright light was preparing to leave us, his bravery was as immense as his caring soul. Each moment became precious beyond measure. We treasured every laugh, every curious question, every cookie we baked together. And Oliver never stopped gifting us with more beautiful memories to cherish like the beacons they are for our way forward.
To all of you here surrounding us with your love, we cannot thank you enough. Your kindness and support during this unfair trial has been our lifeline. I know Oliver’s boundless spirit lives on in the warmth of your embraces and the sparkles of laughter we’ve shared looking back on his extraordinary life.
While our hearts will forever ache, we have the gifts of Oliver’s joyous imprint etched indelibly within us as our guide. May we honor his legacy by holding tight to our curiosity, our capacity for awe, our innocence and playfulness in all of life’s moments. And may we spread kindness, laughter and compassion as vibrantly as we possibly can, illuminating the world with love – just as our Ollie showed us every single day of his unforgettably beautiful life.