A Letter to my son on his 13th Birthday!

I have made a long tradition is e-mailing my children Birthday Wishes and Wisdom each year. As this year embarks on a special year, 13. I thought about sharing it with our blog.

13! A teenager, no longer a boy but a young man. Today I am in awe of the ability to witness you grow, sad that time is fleeting, and excited about the future of a young man setting course in a big world. Here is my advice for you entering your teenage years.

Hard work will continue to matter, from academics to your eventual career. What you put into something, you will inevitably get out of it.

Surrounding yourself with people who make you better will only make you better. Be a human and have all people influence your point of view. You will decipher the ones that create relationships that better you.

Continue to lead with your heart; I have said this before but understand that not much can go wrong when you lead with your heart.

Being in the moment, putting the phone down, and experiencing life will only foster your connection with others. Create memories and moments with people that you will carry for a lifetime. Screens don’t do that.

Protect the ones you love, be grateful that you are loved, and you love others. Protect that, stand up for your sisters, protect them, and apply the same thought process to your friends. Remember the three pencils !

Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Courageous– Listen to others, learn their perspective, and embrace their uniqueness. The tapestry of human differences allows us to learn so much about the world and be kind. Say thank you, say please, mean sorry when you do wrong, and stand up for what’s right. Confront the situations you know that are wrong.

If you think you can, you can! If you set your mind toward something, then you will achieve it. If you have doubts, recalibrate and go forward. Trust yourself in achieving the dreams and goals of your future. I believe in you.

Be emotional! Laugh , cry , be happy , sad .. don’t let society tell you that you can’t have emotions. Feelings are meant for expression; they are not wrong. So Laugh often, cry deeply, love wide, and smile.

Maddox, you make people feel seen. Never stop, that is a gift you have that is powerful.

Remember, you are loved; I will always be your loudest fan, cheering you on your successes and being a soft place to land when you fail. You are a gift to this world, a kind, warm-hearted, intelligent, spirited, funny, hugging, sweaty-hand gift.

Happy Birthday, Maddox; I hope today is everything you wanted, and may your next year continue to be the incredible kid that you are. I could not be prouder of you, my son.

Love, Dad & Mom