As you turn one, I want to share with you that nothing has brought me more joy than spending the past year watching you grow from a little person who did nothing but sleep, eat, and poop (and deprive mommy and daddy of much needed sleep) into this marvelous little happy person who loves to explore the world. It almost saddens me that you are growing so fast and one day you will not mama’s sweet boy anymore but a strong, loving, man.
You have so many wonderful characteristics about you already and are so advanced for your age. It is my prayer that as you grow, you will maintain several of these characteristics. You are such a strong willed individual who marches to the beat of your own drum. Literally. Marches. And dances to it too! I pray that you continue to stand your ground and be firm about who you are and never let society dictate or define you. Never lose the music in your heart or the joy in your steps. You have a sensitive soul and will cry when others around you are sad and hurting. The world will try to tell you that a sensitive man is not a man and sensitive people are most easily hurt. Well, your mama is telling you that the people who change the world are the ones who are strong enough to allow themselves to feel and not be desensitized to the hate in this world. Don’t change that.
You have a zest for life and a natural curiosity and inclination to explore the world. I pray that you never lose that as the world tries to place limitations on you and tell you things are the way they are just because and expect you not to think critically for yourself. There is so much of the world to see. See it. There are so many great things you can be. Work hard and be it. There are so many mysteries of the world. Solve them. You are such a bright young man and the world will open its doors to you if you only knock. Sometimes you may have to knock more than once or you may have to knock for a long time, but I beg you my dear boy, please. Knock.
Last but not least, the thing I hope the world never touches is your heart. It is truly incredible to see how deeply and freely you love and you smile. You are genuinely a happy soul. As you go throughout life, people will try to hurt you and break your spirit. They will make you feel and think something is wrong with you because you are always smiling. I tell you today, something is wrong with THEM for not smiling more. Hurt people hurt others and do not like to see joyous people. But the wonderful thing about joy is that God gave it to you. So the world cannot take it away. Unless you let them. Do not let miserable people take your joy. Instead, let them go.
You will experience many things in life. Joy, pain, heartbreak, grief. These experiences will add to you and help shape you into the man you will someday become. But it is my prayer that you are filled with so much confidence in who you are and so much love that these experiences will not make you a broken man, but a great man. Because you are already a great boy. And mommy loves everything about you from that perfect 4 tooth smile to those ten stinky toes. And it is my prayer that as you grow in life, you will love yourself, flaws and all, just as well.
So many times in life, I have modified myself. I modify myself to present myself to get a job when I pretend I want what the company wants. I have modified myself for relationships to get and or keep the man. I have even modified myself in friendships and in my family to fit in. And it has never been worth it.
Keep reading to see how I learned the importance of being unapologetically me.