An Open Letter To My Sons.
On this day, my 48th birthday, I wish upon you many gifts.
I wish for you to achieve all that your heart desires. I wish for you that it is not always easy. That you learn to master the art of success as well as the art of failure.
I wish upon you a life free of judgment. That you do not judge others. And that you do not judge yourself. I wish upon you the ability, instead, to hold yourself accountable for your mistakes. That you are able to grow and to learn from them without suffering the weight of guilt and shame.
I wish that you learn to successfully navigate the path to forgiveness. Of others, of course. And, equally as important, of self. To accept that as part of the journey you will err. Again, and again, and again. To have a deep understanding that you are human, and that fallibility is part of what you signed up for.
I wish upon you curiosity for the rest of your days. About yourself and about others - those you love, like and even those you may dislike or that have caused you pain. About the world around you and about that which you cannot see, hear, taste, touch or feel. With curiosity, together with an open heart and mind, great wisdom may come. I wish this for you too. Intellectual. Emotional. Spiritual.
I wish upon you an understanding that you are part of the greater good, and to find comfort in the divine collective. That you use your unique gifts and talents to elevate yourself and others, whether it be in big or seemingly small ways. That you recognize the ripple effect of your words, thoughts and actions. That you engage in random acts of kindness and in so doing, reap the rewards.
My wish for you is that you receive these gifts with an open heart, mind and spirit as some may come disguised as a pitfall, a trap, or even a bomb. My wish is that if you stumble, feel trapped, or that the world is imploding around you, you are able to reach down deep, tap into your intrinsic power and keep moving forward. My wish for you is that if you need a helping hand, a genuine one is there for you, and that you have the strength and the courage to accept it.
To receive these gifts, you may have to face some hard times and some difficult truths along the way. If that is to be part of your journey, I pray that you have first achieved among the greatest gifts of all: self-love and inner peace. My wish is that you understand that without self-love and inner peace, the journey may be longer and harder than it needs to be. This is because the void may be filled with obstacles that make the other gifts more difficult to see, to recognize and to receive. I do not wish that for you.
Still, my wish for you is not a life free from adversity. My wish for you is that you will learn to laugh, with strength and with dignity and without fear, in the face of it. Some of the great gifts I have wished for you may follow or flow from adversity, and I hope that you will see them as rainbows that follow the storm.
My final wish, for today, is that you continue to practice gratitude. That you continue to count your blessings. That you continue to recognize all of the many gifts that have been bestowed upon you. As I will continue to be ever grateful for the blessings and the gifts that are you.
These are my wishes for you. And also for me.
With eternal love AND like for exactly who you are. Today, tomorrow and forever.
Mom