A Letter to Jackson

Naptime for Jack

Jack,

You are two years old today, and you are sound asleep. You won’t be able to read this until you get older, but I wanted you to know what I felt right now.

I want you to know that I am doing my best to show you how to grow up to be a man. I hope to be able to teach you so much in the way of life, in the way of relationships, how to serve, and how to give. I will guide you through overcoming adversity, how to overcome different trials in the many different seasons in your life. I will tell you that it is OK to fail, and that you need to fail sometimes so that you learn from your own mistakes.

I will hug you, tell you that I love you, and remind you that you are never too old to do any of those things. I will show you how to treat a woman, through the example of my marriage. Lastly, I will be an example of what kind of work ethic a man should possess, so that you can provide for your family.

You might find out that my “best” might not be good enough all the time, and you will see my mistakes that I have made in life and relationships, and you might even resent me, but you will learn from them. You will see the benefit of serving, and giving for a reason much bigger than You or Me. You will fail, and you will learn. You will find out that I was not always the best example of how to treat a woman, or more importantly your wife, and you will probably become angry and bitter, but you will learn and will hopefully show grace. You may not appreciate the hugs, and the “I Love You’s” right now until you learn what it is like to not have that, but you will carry that on to your son.

You are something awesome, you bring so much joy to my heart, that you probably can’t even comprehend just how much. I pray God gives me the strength, wisdom, and patience for the years ahead, and I ask that He places people in my life to give me answers for the questions I will have. I thank Him so much, for you.

I love you my son, with all of my heart. Happy Birthday.