Happy Birthday, Jacob
Dear Jacob,
Today—February 17, 2024—is your birthday. You were only 11 when you were taken from us and you had a world full of possibilities in front of you. Glancing through old photos, I am reminded of very happy celebrations and the gift of time we had with you.
Glancing through old photos, I see a very determined 2-year-old working hard to figure things out. I see a 5-year old baby brother who loved playing dolls with his older sister, Amy. And, I see 9-year-old in his favorite Vikings jersey, surrounded by friends and making a birthday wish.
Jacob, you were playful, sweet, emotional, and smart. You had a great sense of humor and loved just being with your friends and family. How we longed for more birthdays to celebrate! I believe it was you, Jacob, guiding us through all of these years and reminding us of the magical time of being 11—of dreams and friends and possibilities.
While traveling with Joy for the Dear Jacob book signings, I am constantly reminded of all of the people across this state and nation who have carried you in their hearts… and still do! They believe in hope, and that the world you knew is worth fighting for.
Jacob, you have changed the world, and while I thought you might grow up to be a veterinarian, or sports broadcaster, or the football player you had always wanted to be, you didn’t get that chance. Instead you have become an ambassador for all children. Your bright smile and sparkly eyes have given people meaning and purpose in their own lives. Your classmates have become advocates for children, and they carry you with them in their classrooms, their courtrooms, their office places and their family homes.
Happy Birthday, Jacob. We thank you for all you have taught us, and we are grateful for the precious years that you were physically with us. We will carry you in our hearts forever.
Love,
Mom
In 1993, when Jacob turned 15, his Aunt Barbi (my sister) from California wrote this letter to him. My sister Nancy ran across it this week and shared it with me.
Barbi lived in California with her husband, John, and because she didn’t have any children of her own, she always loved all of her nieces and nephews as if they were hers. After Jacob was kidnapped, Barbi came to stay with us and helped me get back my feet back under me again. She had an amazing ability to help me see things from a different perspective and always sent thoughtful message on Jacob’s birthday.
The beginning of Barbi’s letter from 1993 is an excerpt from a short story titled “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros. It’s part of a longer story that captures all the big emotions of being eleven—especially that “in between” stage of wanting to grow up and be a teenager, but at the same time, still wanting to remain a kid. I invite you to watch the video and try to remember what it was like to be eleven as the author reads the full story.
Today, on Jacob’s 46th birthday, I ask that each one of us try to tap into that child within and somehow find a way to be 11 again. Allow yourself to care about things as deeply as 11-year-olds do, like that desire to be hugged and rocked while still striving to be strong and tough. Honor that younger child within each of us. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. To not fight back tears. To reflect on the years that have made us who we are today. To be open to the honesty of what today’s children are telling us.
To be kind.
May we each make a wish for things to be better. Be brave enough to dream. Believe we can each make a difference. Commit to doing our best. May we honor children, be there for them, say a little prayer for those who are struggling, and may we always believe in a world that is fair, caring, and happy, just as Jacob did.
Today, I ask everyone to light a candle for Jacob’s birthday. Make a wish and believe that, together, we can build a world where kids have the right to grow up safe and follow their dreams.
Audiobook winners!
For Jacob’s birthday, we decided to give away FIVE free audiobooks of Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope. Participants were asked leave a comment and share their favorite birthday memory as a child. It was so heartwarming to read all of your replies!
Audiobook winners were emailed a free promo code that could be redeemed at Audiobooks.com. Check your email to find out if you were one of our winners.
You can find the audio version of Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope on all the major audio platforms, including Audible, Audiobooks.com, Apple Books.com, Hoopla, Libby, Libro.fm, Google Play Books, and Everand. If you’re interested in listening to a sample of Dear Jacob, click the following link.
https://www.audiobooks.com/book/stream/717092
Hope you enjoy it!
—Patty
Join us in Arizona!
We’ll be speaking at a few private events in Scottsdale and Tucson next week, and while we’re there, we’ll also be appearing at a public book signing at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix. We would love to see some friendly faces if you happen to be living, visiting, or snowbirding in the Phoenix area!
Here’s a link to the Facebook event if you’d like to share with friends and family: https://fb.me/e/1PEziwZnv2
Upcoming Author Events
Additional events, links and details will be added as they become available. Dates and times subject to change. Please check our Events page at DearJacobBook.com for final confirmation.
2/21/2024 – Patty and Joy, Changing Hands Bookstore, Phoenix, AZ – 6:30 PM MST
3/28/2024 – Patty, Copper Pony, Sauk Rapids, MN – 5:00 PM
4/4/2024 – Patty and Joy, Content Book Store, Northfield, MN – 7:00 PM
5/1/2024 – Patty and Joy, Cold Spring Library, Cold Spring, MN – TBD
5/6/2024 – Patty and Joy, Martin County Library, Fairmont, MN – 5:00 PM
5/14/2024 – Patty and Joy, Hutchinson Public Library, Hutchinson, MN – TBD
More coming soon!
Rankings and reviews
If you enjoyed reading Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, please give it a positive rating and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you purchased your book. We love reading your reviews!
Ask for Dear Jacob at your local library
We also love libraries, and would especially love if every library in America had a copy of Dear Jacob on its shelves. Many times there’s an online form you can fill out to request a specific book, but of course it’s just as simple to pick up the phone and call your friendly librarian. Thank you for your supporting your local library!
Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope was released on October 17th, 2023 by MNHS Press. You can purchase it at your favorite bookseller, or ask for it at your local library.
Happy heavenly 46th birthday Jacob! Thinking of you and your precious family all day, lighting a candle, making chocolate chip cookies (with browned butter, yum) and keeping my front porch light on.
Love and best wishes from Florida,
Stacy
As a child, the anticipation of birthdays was always more exciting than the birthday celebration itself. I'm sure there must have been special birthdays although I can't recall anything particularly memorable. I did, however, love to see my grandparents pull into the driveway on my birthdays. They always made a commitment to be there which meant more than any gift or cake.