Dear Son,
Before you arrived, I was scared
of you not liking me, not being able to soothe you, or not being able to hold
you the right way. The thing that scares me the most in my life is the thought
of you not knowing just how much I cherish you.
I want you to know that I love
you both very much, and could not be prouder of you. I am not a perfect father,
but I have done my best to help you through your life.
I want you to know the
indescribable joy I felt when you came into this world. There were rough years
in my life that I spent in spiritual darkness with no faith. I had a profound
conversion experience when I surrendered to the Gospel message.
God loves you no matter what.
Stay true to yourself, and serve Him. Stay devoted to your faith despite all
the temptations you will have from the world to leave it. Be a man of prayer.
Never forget you were made for Heaven and not this world.
I have taught you the difference
between right and wrong. Your faith has helped you learn to love your neighbor,
and serve others. Never lose touch with your values. They define who you are.
Don’t be tempted to give up your values for temporary pleasure. It is never
worth it.
School isn’t always going to be
fun. It wasn’t for me. It is very important to have a quality education if you
want to have good career options. Never be satisfied that you know enough.
Become a curious lifelong learner about your world. Nothing in life is free so
work hard. You will be rewarded.
Never change who you are for anyone. You’re you,
and that is all you are meant to be. If people don’t like you, they don’t
matter. Always follow your heart, and listen to your gut. They know what makes
you happy. Your intuition doesn’t lie. Live your life how you want to live
it, not how you’re expected to.
You will meet lots of women in
your life. Treat them all with respect. Care more about their inner beauty than
their outward appearance. Don’t give in to sinful behavior. You will know you
are in love when you can’t stop thinking about her as the most beautiful female
you have ever seen. Build a relationship with her to see if she is the one. Do
the right thing, and save yourself for marriage. The world might make fun of
you, but God will love you for it.
Everyone you meet will be
fighting their own secret battles. What you see on the surface isn’t always
what is going on inside. Choose your words carefully. How you treat others will
say more about you than anything else.
You have heard me say this many times:
“You need to be more responsible!” If you say you will do something, do it. Be
true to yourself and your friends. Hang out with people who share your values.
Be a good enough friend to others that you will always tell them the truth.
The tricky thing about friendship
is you sometimes find yourself alone because you are committed to doing what is
right. Never abandon your faith to follow the crowd. Hopefully, you will have a
few close friends who’ll stay with you for a lifetime. They are to be treasured
as gifts from God.
Admit it when you’re wrong. Say you’re
sorry when you’re to blame. Be proud of yourself. Life can be hard, and at
times the world can feel like a scary place. It can be easy to think kindness
doesn’t exist, but believe it does. I promise that there’s more good than bad
in this world.
You are going to struggle at
times in life, but always remember I’m here for you. Most importantly, God
loves you, and will never abandon you. He wants you to learn and think for
yourself. You can’t be truly happy unless you have joy. Joy comes from putting
Christ first in your life.
Smiling is the most powerful
emotional tool you have. Laugh as much as you can especially at stupid things.
Have a variety of crazy things you do. Believe in your magical ability to turn
a bad day around to good for someone. Look for the good in every situation. It
is easier to find then you might think. There are difference makers all around
you. Be grateful, and always know that you are love’s trophy in my heart.
Love,
Your Father[i]
"A Dad is someone who holds
you when you cry, scolds you when you break the rules, shines with pride when
you succeed, and has faith in you even when you fail." (John O’Leary)
[i] Sources used:
·
“A Letter to My Child for Father's Day: Here's What
I Want You to Know about the Life You’re about to Live” by Jake Mills
·
“Letter to My Sons” by Randy Hain
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