A Letter To My Son, The Incoming Sophomore
Son, it's your papa. I'm writing to you because there are a few things I wanted to share before you start school tomorrow. First, this year is really important to your future. So important that I am going to have to resort to all kinds of things you'd rather I not to help you succeed. I'm going to get in your business. I'm going to ask "who" that was. I'm going to want to check your homework even though you said you finished it in 2 minutes after getting home or you finished it at school during lunch. I'm going to raise my voice to you and give you a piece of my mind, and chances are you'll be grounded a time or two during the next nine months. All things that in a 15 year-old's mind sound like a total pain in the backside. You might even equate it to me disliking you. Yet that couldn't be further from the truth. You see son, I love you more than the air I breath. I love you so much, I'm going to force myself to be your father instead of your buddy. Believe me, it is far more fun to be your buddy. But, I will make myself take on the responsibility of being your father because you deserve it and your are worth it. Someday when you're an adult, I will permanently take on the mantle of friendship and mentorship in your life. This isn't that time.
I'm going to check myself regularly to make sure I'm not trying to live vicariously through you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you. I'm going to challenge you to expand your horizons and try new things, and once you commit to those things, I'm going to push you to complete them. We aren't quitters in this house and you are made of better stuff than that. Yeah, those teams and clubs aren't as fun once the novelty wears off and they begin to be actual work, but that is exactly when you learn the lessons you need to learn from those activities. If you start something son, you're going to finish it. Oh, and you're going to start things. No question about that. I'm going to be hard on you, but only because you get one shot at high school. One shot at doing things right so you can move forward and succeed at college and at life.
Not-so-funny story about your old man. Many of the people who will read this were teenagers with me and I'm sure they will concur. I made so many stupid mistakes. I had no one pushing me, and that isn't an excuse as I should have pushed myself. But while my friends would go home and knock out their homework real quick and then go hang out, I went straight to hang out. While they showed up for try-outs at different athletic teams, I hung out. While they participated in the school play and in clubs, I hung out. I missed so many things which could have enriched my high school experience and given me more tools in my toolbox as I went forward into adulthood. Son I don't want you to look back and wish you did, when you didn't. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I want you to look back on high school and think "I did it all, experienced it all, took it all in, and had the time of my life doing it." I want that for you son.
I will probably not win father-of-the-year honors with you by the end of this year, but hopefully when you look back on this time in your life, you'll understand and appreciate why your dad loved you enough to be your "Father" when you needed him to be one. Good luck buddy. Stand up straight, be friendly and good to everyone, stand up for those who are too weak to stand up for themselves, listen in class, if you don't understand ask until you do, and enjoy your high school experience, it will be over far too quickly. Love you, Papa.
I'm going to check myself regularly to make sure I'm not trying to live vicariously through you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you. I'm going to challenge you to expand your horizons and try new things, and once you commit to those things, I'm going to push you to complete them. We aren't quitters in this house and you are made of better stuff than that. Yeah, those teams and clubs aren't as fun once the novelty wears off and they begin to be actual work, but that is exactly when you learn the lessons you need to learn from those activities. If you start something son, you're going to finish it. Oh, and you're going to start things. No question about that. I'm going to be hard on you, but only because you get one shot at high school. One shot at doing things right so you can move forward and succeed at college and at life.
Not-so-funny story about your old man. Many of the people who will read this were teenagers with me and I'm sure they will concur. I made so many stupid mistakes. I had no one pushing me, and that isn't an excuse as I should have pushed myself. But while my friends would go home and knock out their homework real quick and then go hang out, I went straight to hang out. While they showed up for try-outs at different athletic teams, I hung out. While they participated in the school play and in clubs, I hung out. I missed so many things which could have enriched my high school experience and given me more tools in my toolbox as I went forward into adulthood. Son I don't want you to look back and wish you did, when you didn't. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I want you to look back on high school and think "I did it all, experienced it all, took it all in, and had the time of my life doing it." I want that for you son.
I will probably not win father-of-the-year honors with you by the end of this year, but hopefully when you look back on this time in your life, you'll understand and appreciate why your dad loved you enough to be your "Father" when you needed him to be one. Good luck buddy. Stand up straight, be friendly and good to everyone, stand up for those who are too weak to stand up for themselves, listen in class, if you don't understand ask until you do, and enjoy your high school experience, it will be over far too quickly. Love you, Papa.
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