My Son On His 17th Birthday

On this day 17 years ago god blessed your mom and I with you. You had such an impact on everyone that saw you for the first time. Your Aunt Becca saw you in the nursery and knew right away who you belonged too. Being that you weighed almost 11 pounds and made the other babies around you look premature. On this day I am going to give you 17 things that you should always remember on your 17^th Birthday.

1.     Always Be Humble – This is something that we as parent rarely have to say to you because you have always represented this qualities. But for the sake of this post I will say. No one likes an arrogant ass, however don’t let anyone walk over you because you are humble. Self–confidence is great but acting better than those around you pushes people away. But, being Humble draws others close to you and will draw attention to how great we already know you are.
2.   Always Be Punctual – Always be on time and early to anything you do. A person who always late is labeled as unreliable.
3.    Don’t Be Afraid to Say I Love You – Telling your Mom, Dad, Sister or Friends you love them is nothing to be ashamed of. You never know if that day will be the last day you see them.
4.      Be Kind To All You Meet – You never know if you path will cross again. The world is small and as you know when we go out and travel that I see someone I know all over the country. This will be the same for you in your travels through life.
5.   It Is Usually Not About You - As you grow older, don't worry so much about looking a certain way. Most of the time, no one is paying attention. Really. People like to think everyone is focused on them but, in actuality, people are usually focused mostly on themselves. And if someone does something to you that's hurtful, it's almost certainly related to something going on in their life that has nothing to do with you.
6.   If Someone Confides In You With A Secret Or Trust And Asks You Not To Tell Anyone, DON’T! – Trust is something that takes but a second to destroy and sometimes a life time to rebuild. Remember your word and reliability are all you have. Make sure you never destroy those with your Family, Friends and Co-Workers.
7.   Stay Close With Your Sister – A relationship with your Sister or Brother is very important. They will always be there for you. They will always love you in a way you may not understand. They will always have your back. And when your Mom and I are gone in to those Eternal Gates in Heaven they will be the only ones to remember you as a child.
8.   Don’t Hold A Grudge – Sometimes it is hard to forgive someone and it will eat at you and cause you to remain in that moment. What you will learn is that overtime those things that caused you some much anger and pain are mostly insignificant to what is really important. We all make mistakes and we do not have to forget what has happened to us but we do need to forgive those that may have caused that pain. Not for them but for us to live with peace and happiness knowing that those individuals have not hold over us anymore.
9.   Don’t Forget The Skills We Taught You – As you go to college and become independent you will need the skills of Cooking, Cleaning, Balancing a checkbook, paying your bills, etc. You will compound upon those skills as you get older. I know you hate having chores but you will thank us one day.
10.  Be Careful Of The Company You Keep – If you want to be successful in life surround yourself with successful people. If you want to be positive talk and communicate with positive people. Don’t let yourself be dragged down into someone else’s self-loathing and negativity. As with being Humble positivity is an infection that draws others to you. NO one likes a complainer!!
11.  Work Hard Now To Have It Easy Later – You and your sister have heard me preach this from the early years of your life. I know you are seeing this now in your life when you put that extra effort into a project or class assignment and come out with a Grade above what you expected. Keep that up it will never fail you.
12.  Listen to the Song “Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin” – This song will remind you what is important in life.
13.  Don’t Miss Those Special Occasions – The last thing any of us want to do is spend our Saturday at relatives 80^th Birthday or 50^th Anniversary party. Or your sisters school events, but it is very important that you do.
14.  Don’t Forget to Have Fun – It is too easy to get wrapped up in the seriousness of being a teenager, student and productive member of your family. Have fun when you can and enjoy the time you have with your Mom, Dad, Sister, Friends!! When High School is over and the real work starts you will look back and appreciate the time you spent just having fun.
15.  Yearn for the Experience – Look at every opportunity that you are given as a learning experience. Look at what you can obtain from every situation. All things happen for a reason, find out what it means to you.
16.  Look to the Bible and God for Guidance When you Feel Lost or Afraid – When you are at a point of stress, despair, fear or uncertainty always remember that God has your back he has a path laid out for you. You just have to accept his help and take his guidance. The Bible is a user’s manual to happiness and peace. Read it often and let it speak to you.
17.  Mom and Dad Always Are On Your Side – Remember no matter what happens in your journey we are always here for you. You are never alone in this, we will support you in whatever you do. We will always love you more than anyone in your life

 Happy Birthday to my Brilliant and Loving Son you will always be my little Buddy!!