So recently I have been even more emotional than usual (poor Dave). I have been so overwhelmed by the love I have for our precious baby boy. He has brought so much joy to our lives. Last week while he was in a peaceful slumber (during the day, of course...he hadn't had that amazing full night's sleep yet...hey, maybe it's the lack of sleep that's causing the heightened emotional state??) I wrote Jack a letter and included a list of things I want him to always remember. I won't make you read the whole sob-fest letter but I will share my list of hopes, dreams, rules, and life lessons I want our son to know. I hope that one day he will read my letter and this list and know that we love him and want the world for him.
1.
You are loved – Plain and simply, unconditionally, wholeheartedly. The love I have for you is one you will only
know when you hold your own precious son or daughter in your arms for the first
time. I pray you are lucky enough to
share in this love with a partner.
2.
You are a child of God – In Mark 10:14, Jesus said “Let the little children come to me, and do
not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “ It is our hope that you know Jesus and have a
powerful relationship with Him.
3.
You are a Southern Gentleman – Regardless of where your life may take
you, you were born and raised in the south.
Always say “please and thank you” and “yes ma’am and no sir.” Open doors for ladies and hold doors open for
those coming after you. Offer your seat
to pregnant women and the elderly. Always
respect women. And, have a firm
handshake, it says a lot about you.
4.
You are Jack Ryan
– As Tom Clancy knows, you can be anything you want! Even the President of the United States of
America! (At some point you will have to
read the Jack Ryan novels but know, you were named after your great grandfather,
not “the other” Jack Ryan).
5.
Study hard in
school and life – Take on everyday as a learning experience. Read, go to museums, watch the History
channel…constantly be curious.
6.
Dream big and
think outside the box – The bigger the better!
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” –Walt Disney. “Logic will
get you from A to B, imagination will take you everywhere.” –Albert Einstein
7.
Don’t take
yourself too seriously – Sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves or we would
cry! Try to see the funny side of things
even when it seems not so funny…trust me, we have all walked around with our
pants unzipped and broccoli in our teeth…it happens (especially in those
awkward teenage years)!
8.
Don’t get mad at
me when I kick you out of the house – Run, jump in mud puddles, ride your bike,
kick a ball, play tag. There is
something to be said for time spent outside during your childhood. TV and video games will always be around but
daylight fades into darkness and 9 to 5 jobs will come all too soon. Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine of your
youth every chance you get.
9.
Separate your
colors from your whites – If you don’t, you’ll end up with pink underwear and
socks!
10.
Laugh every
single day – It’s good for your soul.
11.
Make music – I don’t
care if it’s on the pots and pans in the kitchen or a guitar at the Grand Ole
Opry, just make music. Music makes your
heart happy. And, chances are that music
will make you want to dance…I hope you got your father’s rhythm but just in case
you were blessed (or cursed) with mine, embrace it and have fun!
12.
Tell the truth,
even if it’s hard – People will respect you if you tell the truth. If you have done something that makes you
feel guilty or that has caused you to keep a secret, chances are it’s wrong. Come clean, you will feel better about the
situation and yourself. Even if I am
upset with you, I will always support you if you tell the truth.
13.
Share – Your
toys…your food…your time…your money…your talents. There will always be people who are in need
of a little something. If you have it to
give, do so. It will make their day and
it will make you feel great for having helped someone else.
14.
Money certainly
isn’t everything but it sure helps if you know a little something about
it. Learn how to be financially
responsible and always save a little for a rainy day.
15.
Be YOU! –
Straight, gay, athlete, book worm, musician, actor, introvert, extrovert. You are wonderfully you. Never let anyone make you feel unimportant,
not worthy, or like an outcast. Be happy
and confident that God made the one and only YOU!
16.
Travel – See the
world. There is so much to learn from
other cultures. Go scuba diving at the
Great Barrier Reef, walk on the Great Wall of China, throw a penny in the Trevi
Fountain…get out there and explore! And
if you are a homebody like your Uncle Russ, at least visit some of your
neighboring states, Charleston is beautiful and DC is full of history. And know, where ever you go, you can always
come home.
17.
It’s okay to cry
– Learn to understand your emotions and don’t be afraid or ashamed of
them. You are not less of a man if you
cry. In my mind you are more of a man,
just ask your daddy, he’s full of tears!
18.
Pull your pants
up – I hope the fad of wearing your pants half way down your bottom is over by
the time you are a teenager but just in case it’s not, PULL YOUR PANTS UP! No one wants to see your underwear. Dress like you respect yourself, tuck your
shirt in, shave often, and never underestimate the power of a good watch and
cuff links.
19.
Learn your way
around the kitchen – Hopefully you will be lucky enough to marry someone who
knows how to cook (your daddy was!) but in case you aren’t, you need to know how
to feed yourself on something other than take out. And even if you do marry someone who cooks,
it’s nice to give them the night off or better yet, get in the kitchen and have
fun together! I’ll pass down some of my
favorite recipes to get you started.
20.
Never be afraid to come to me about ANYTHING –
I will not lecture, I will not judge, I will be honored beyond believe that you
even came to me in the first place. Most of the time, I will not say
anything at all, I will just listen.
21.
Go to college – Even if you aren’t sure what
you want to do with your life. Maybe
this is the place you will figure it out.
The experience of college is worth nearly as much as the classroom
knowledge. You will be faced with many
challenging situations all of which will help shape the young man that will
walk across the stage on graduation day.
I am crying writing this so know that I will be sobbing the day we drop
you off and drive away from your dorm, consider yourself warned.
22.
Relationships are
important – Be the one that reaches out, even if you’re always the
one. Let the important people in your life know that they’re important to
you. Never tell yourself (or anyone else) that you’re too busy.
Always make time, because time is always fleeting.
23.
Give everyone a chance – It’s easy to fall into
a crowd that judges other people harshly for being different. Always put
yourself in someone else’s shoes. Letting others badmouth without
stepping in is just as bad as the badmouthing itself.
24.
Follow your heart and believe in yourself –
Daddy and I believe in you and are with you 100%. We are your biggest cheerleaders and will be
by your side whether you are on top of the world or lowly man at the bottom. We want you to do what makes your heart happy.
25.
You will not remember these days, these first
months of your life. You will not remember us rolling around on the floor
together, giggling at the silliness of it all. You will not remember the
moments that I rocked/wrestled you to sleep and then watched you dream.
You won’t remember the excitement of your first everything in these months –
rolling, smiling, laughing. You won’t remember how you’d kick your feet
and splash in the bathtub, couldn’t fall asleep without your little bunny, or
found pure bliss in having your socks off so you could wiggle your
piggies. But I will. I always will. And I will always
hold them so close to my heart that it hurts just a tiny bit, knowing every day
that passes means letting go of you a little bit more.
Dave and Jeff had a blast skiing while Brooke and I entertained the kiddos. Alexis is 15 months old and absolutely adorable. She is in to everything! She is teetering around on those wobbly little legs and loves to laugh and play. Jack had so much fun watching everything that Alexis was doing! 
Saturday afternoon brought naps for everyone followed by dinner in the village (extra hands made this outing do-able). When we left dinner at 7:00 the temperature was already down to 12! Yes, TWELVE!! We quickly headed back to the condo and settled in for an evening of movies and hot chocolate. 
