Letters for April 5: Baby Jack

Dear Jack,

This will be the first of many letters I write to you, I'm certain. In fact, I've been meaning to write you a letter since you came to be.

When I think about all of the things I want to say to you, I get completely overwhelmed, and end up all misty-eyed (and lame). And I'm sure there will be those moments amidst the, "You did what!!???"'s and the "How much is it gonna cost?"'s. But we have to start somewhere, right?

So, here goes.

I will begin by telling you I love you. I really, REALLY, gut crunching love you, and am so glad you are here.. er. are about to be here. But whatever, you are already here to me (especially at 1:00 in the morning when I am trying to sleep - thanks for those reminders..). And the fact that I love you is all it will ever come back to in the end.

I could end the letter here and it would be sufficient, for the rest of your life, but I have some other things on my list to talk to you about. We'll call them reminders (as opposed to rules which lend themselves to certain rebellion, especially if you are anything like your dad..). Here are the first 5:

1. Love... Just love. That's #1.

2. Have compassion - We are going to work on this together by being involved in our community, wherever that community may be.

3. Be respectful - of people, of your environment... of your parents.

4. You have the (un)fortunate honor of being a kid of two school teachers. That means we think book learnin' is pretty important. You will do your homework. You will be read to and you will read to us. We hope to instill in you a wonder for the world and all things in it, especially since we are continually being gobsmacked by what there is to know.

5. See the world. People continually tell me that I will never travel again because you are going to keep us pretty busy. I just tell them that you'll be a kid with a passport. The most well rounded kids I know are those who see that the world is bigger than their backyards. I hope that you get to be one of them.

So, those are the first 5.. until I think of other things to add to the list.

I also wanted to mention that you must take a shower when I ask you to (boys are gross!), and you must not climb on the roof just to jump off of it. But I think I'll save those tips for the book I am writing called, Jack's Survival Tips: Things that will keep your momma sane whilst lengthening your life expectancy, both literally and figuratively, at the same time.

It's a working title.

Anyway Jack, I'll see you in a month and a half or so.

I love you and there are already tons of folks here who are ready to love you, too. You're a lucky boy!

Momma