Thursday, January 31, 2013

An Open Letter To My Son

Today was a great day. Nothing happened. I was off and spent the day with The Boy. We went to story time, we went to the craft store. He took a nap and I did some work. It was incredibly mundane. And beautiful. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to do nothing with this kid some days. These nothing days are the days I'm watching him grow up before my very eyes. These nothing days are filled with laughter and tears, and I hope behind the laughter and tears is a little learning every day. Sometimes even for him. This is my letter to my boy on these nothing days. 


Son,
Now you are a toddler and you climb, unprovoked, into my lap to read a story and give spontaneous kisses, and I melt as I feel love in a way I've never understood before. I am happy and I know that if nothing else good ever happens in my life I'll be okay because I have known this love.

There are so many things I want for you. Right now you are so little you don't even know your future looms before you, full of hope and promise and possibility. You can do anything! I want what parents have wanted for thousands of years before me: for you to grow up happy and healthy and strong.

I want you to grow up with values that include being respectful to others and being responsible for your actions. I want you to be tolerant and patient and kind. I want you to find what's important to you and fight for it. I hope you get involved with something bigger than yourself.

I don't care how you vote or how you look or who you love. I don't care if you are a doctor, lawyer, or dentist, unless that is what you want. I hope you will study hard enough to get by and play even harder.  I hope you will find a career that you love, and do it passionately. I hope you will be kind to people who can't do anything to get you ahead. I hope you will write a thank you note to those who can and do. I hope you won't be an entitled punk. I hope you will appreciate the things that you have, and understand the plight of those who have not been blessed the same life as you. I hope you see without shaming, people who are not as lucky to have been born in your country, your demographic, your skin, your life.

I hope you have big adventures in the back yard and in the big world. I hope you are spontaneous and fun, with enough caution mixed in to keep you safe. I hope you ask questions. Ask questions when you don't understand or when you don't agree with something. Ask questions about everything in the world around you, and then question the answers you get. I hope you learn to think for yourself, and I hope you have grand ideas. When you find something you're really interested in I hope you'll immerse yourself in it.

I hope you do something stupid that doesn't hurt anyone. I hope you get in trouble and learn from your mistakes. I hope you will be angry with me for rules that you won't yet understand. I'm pretty sure I'll be angry with you for breaking them. I hope you can apologize when you were wrong, and sometimes even when you weren't. I hope you will pick up your dad's ability to let go of things that aren't important and you cherish those that are.

I hope you kiss someone at the beach. I hope you appreciate your love interests for more than their looks, and let them know it. I hope you open doors for your date out of courtesy and kindness, and never out of authority or presumption. I hope you get your heart broken so you know the value of a healthy relationship. I hope you treat your partner with respect, even when you're angry. I hope you demand the same.

I hope you spend time with your grandparents, even when it won't be cool. I hope you get in a fight with your cousin or your friend and you make up and laugh about it later. I hope you stick up for people who can't stick up for themselves, and learn the joy of helping others. I hope you learn to communicate your feelings using words that are meaningful. I hope you'll know that I'll be here for you every single moment of every one of these hopes.

Most of all, son, I hope years from now you have a child that will climb, unprovoked, into your lap to read a story and give spontaneous kisses, and I hope you melt as you feel love in a way you've never understood before. And I hope you are happy and you know that if nothing else good ever happens in your life you'll be okay because you have known that love. Then you will understand my love for you. XOXO

Mom


1 comment:

  1. I love this. I hope no one sees me tearing up at work!

    ReplyDelete