A letter to my boys....

Mother's Day is approaching pretty quickly so of course, I think about my mother and my husband's mother, both of our step mothers but I kind of forget about myself in this equation until the day of.  I think more about my kids....duh. Welcome to Motherhood, peeps.  For some reason, no matter what holiday, they are the ones I think about. 

Even on Mother's Day where we should be having a celebration they have all survived thus far all about Mommies, I still think about them.  This is a good thing, though.  I think about being a mom and what responsibllity, happiness, joys, sadness, craziness and sleep deprevation it has brought me and will probably continue until I am so senile I won't care.

There are many moments where I have felt the need to tuck away a little note of advice or a letter into the kiddos' baby books and there is plenty of time, especially now with T being a nutty teenager, where I sit on his bed and have a little chit chat about what's going on with the world...or in his head.  In honor of Mother's Day this year,  I wanted to write a note to the boys and then to my daughter. Little tidbits that I think they should know.  If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be a mother....I also wouldn't be finding gray hairs at the age of 31.  But without them, I wouldn't have as much laughter, which in turn gives me super cool laugh lines....I refuse to call them crow's feet or wrinkles, I earned these stripes, fool! 

 

 

What would you have to look forward to in life if not for the advice from crazy relatives?

To my boys.....things I want you to take to heart, think about...okay skim over and somehow make your life even greater.

1. Laugh. Loudly and often.  Throw your head back and laugh, it's good for the soul.
2. Know what else is good for the soul?  Praying. Pray like there's no tomorrow. Pray in the car, pray in the bathroom, pray wherever you need to.  When you feel like saying something really mean, or judgmental, or raunchy....just pray about it because that little Voice that is telling you, "Dude, don't do it...", is God. And you really need to listen to Him.
3. Learn to appreciate music from the 60's. And not just The Beatles. A little Otis Redding does a heart good.
4. Don't always be the loudest person in the room....and don't be the quietest either.  Make yourself present but don't be obnoxious.
5. Watch what you say, text, post, or share whether it is on the Internet or out of your mouth....it never just stays between 2 people.  Never.
6. Learn how to dance.  I'm not talking ballroom here, although that would be cool...I'm talking about dancing. A girl never regrets dating a boy who can move.  (and let's leave choreographed or line dances out of this equation)
7. Smile.  Even when you feel like taking some one's face and pinching it so hard their brain sort of makes a popping sound...just smile. 
8. Travel. Fly, ride a train, take a cross country road trip, backpack across Europe, study abroad for a year....just travel.  Experience the world outside of your safety zone.
9. Don't be a loner.  Yes, sometimes, it's nice to be alone but don't be a hermit....enjoy people.
10. Have one signature move.  Not just a dance move.  It can be the way you smile at girl you like.  It could be the way you make everyone else feel comfortable with a "break the ice" joke or the way you know about every restaurant in the city you will eventually live in.  It can be wearing Chucks with a designer suit or keeping your hair long when everyone else has chopped it off.  Just have something that people will remember you by, and make it a positive attribute.
11. Be a hard worker.  We should do all things for the glory of God.
12. Have an open mind and heart. This is super important. If we keep our heart and mind closed off to thoughts different than our own then we will never be able to grow and learn.
13. Be silly every once in awhile.   There is a time to be serious and a time to get with the program but there also needs to be time in your life to be silly and laugh at yourself.
14. Be easy on your sister...she will always be the girl who knows the most about you yet...still loves you more than anything.
15. Own a dog. The unconditional love from a dog is something everyone should have.
16. Make friends. Nurture those friendships.
17. Keep old friends that matter.  When you move off to college, or even after that...when your searching for a place that has "you" written all over it.....keep those old friends that kept you going through the tough times.
18. Go to church.  I don't care where you are, attempt to find a home church that you feel comfortable in so you can be surrounded by Christ followers.
19. Girls....this one has categories

a. Always be the boy to open the door for your date.
b. Be a good listener.
c. Don't attempt to have the last word every.single.time.
d. Acknowledge and compliment any new thing....haircut? dress?
e. Remember that every girl is not the one for you...she may be drop dead gorgeous on the outside but always keep in mind...there are some girls who you want to date and there are some girls that you don't need to date.  You will become very confused with want and need many times in your life. Pray about it.
f. If a girl seems too high maintenance, a little snippy or snide, self righteous, or rude....she probably is.  I don't care how pretty she is, think twice.
h. Always pay on a date.  Even if she tells you no, get the check...and pay.
i. Only say I love you...if you do love her.
j. Respect, respect, respect.  Give it.  Get it.

20.  Always know how much I love you...the moment I saw each of your faces my heart has never been the same.  I remember the feel of your soft baby hair and the smell of your baby breath.  I can still feel your heartbeat against mine and your tiny, velvety hand wrapped around my finger.  I can see your gummy smile hear your infectious laugh.  You boys are amazing. Never forget it.  


Happy Mother's Day everyone.