Boy

There was a boy and he was beautiful. He was the reason I got up in the morning and the reason I didn’t get any sleep at night. He grew and grew and now he is taller than me.

And now you’re still growing and learning about the world around you from the perspective of teenager. Before you grow up completely, I want to tell you a few things, and please don’t roll your eyes at me yet.

1. Don’t let the world ruin that goodness inside of you. The world is a dark ugly place but there are good things out there too, and that light is brought out by people exactly like you. Don’t let the world take that away from you, to put out that light that so bright inside of you. You have had some hard things in your short 12 years, but you haven’t let that harden your heart. Don’t ever let it.
2. Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want me and dad to know about. If you would be embarrassed or feel guilty about something that you said or did, then you probably shouldn’t do it. Don’t say or do anything that that can make someone else feel bad about themselves.
3. Treat any girl that you are like, in a way that you would want your sister to be treated. Imagine that there’s a boy that likes your sister (in many, many years). If he said some of the things that you say, would that be okay? Would it hurt her feelings? Or would it make her smile? Keep that in mind as you get older and are dating.
4. Any girl that you date could become your wife. I know, I know, you’re young, you’re not getting married to anyone anytime soon (did I just feel an eye roll?). But think about this: I met Daddy when I was 14, the same age as you are now. I didn’t expect him to be the one I married, but he was and I’m glad for it. You never know when that person will walk into your life. Be mindful of the people you let into your circle of friends.
5. Make good choices in friends. If they want you to do things that you know are wrong or make you uncomfortable, then you probably need to pick some different friends. Real friends only want the best for you.
6. You will be a totally different person in 5, 10, 20 years. Most teens just want to fit in with everyone else. It’s normal to want that, but it’s okay to not fit in. It’s perfectly wonderful to be who you were made you to be and it won’t matter in 10 years if that one kid at school thought you were cool. Just be the amazingly wonderful person that you are.
7. Be happy. All any parent wants is for their child to be happy, whether they are 2, 12 or 32. We want you to succeed and have the most amazing life that you can. Everything that we do is to make sure that you have that. It may not always feel like it, but we love you to the moon and back.

As you continue to grow into the life that I want you to love, remember these things and know that I’m always here for you. There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t love you for.

Love, Mom