“A Letter to my Son (while he is a preteen)
This blog post will be a little different than the norm. This is a letter to my son while he is currently a preteen.
Once upon a time 11 years ago, I became a mom. At this time in my life, I had no idea that I even wanted children……..but then he happened. My life has been upside down ever since, and I would not trade it for anything in the world. As we prepare to celebrate your 11th birthday, this mama is having a hard time. I am not ready for independence, even though, as parents this is what we are preparing you for. I am not ready for the broken hearts, because I always want to see you happy and loved. Lastly, I am not ready for you to grow into becoming an adult because frankly, it means I won’t be needed as much.
Growing up is inevitable though. So as you are transitioning from that spunky little boy to a handsome young man, I wanted to write you a letter full of life lessons that you can keep and cherish forever.
A Letter to My Son and What I want Him to Know
Always Be true to yourself. There is no one else like you in the entire world, so allow your uniqueness to shine through. You never need to change who you are for someone else. You are amazing exactly as you are.
Live your own dreams. Try lots of things, and figure out what makes you happy. Then, pursue it. Follow a path of your own choosing – not mine, not your dad’s or anyone else’s. Your fulfillment is what I want, and it will come from following your dreams and living a life that has meaning and purpose for YOU.
Don’t take life too seriously. Have fun. Laugh at yourself when you make mistakes. Don’t worry about things you cannot control. Don’t sweat the small stuff. You are only given one life, so make the best of it, and enjoy it to the fullest.
Love and accept yourself unconditionally. You will always have yourself even when friends come and go, so make it your best relationship. The way you treat yourself will show others how to treat you, so treat yourself like you would your own best friend. Be kind, respectful, and loving to yourself no matter what. Your words matter, especially the words you say to yourself.
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Take big, bold risks! You can accomplish great things by taking risks. Living life too cautiously, and always keeping the status quo will leave you with regrets. Get outside of your comfort zone and watch as that comfort zone expands. The more risks you take, the easier it becomes.
(read more about children and failure here.)
Find your soulmate. You will meet someone one day with whom you fall head over heels in love and want to spend the rest of your life. Their gender, race, religion, and culture are irrelevant to me. As long as you are loved, respected, and treated well, I will always be happy with your choice.
And, last but certainly not least,
Know that I love you and I will always be there for you. No matter what life throws at you, I will always have your back. You are my son and you always will be. I adore you, and there is nothing you could possibly do to change that. There may be many times when we don’t agree, but those moments will never devalue the love that I have for you.
This letter to my son is written with love and admiration. I am so very thankful to be your mother.
“You is smart. You is kind. You is important.” Mommy, and Daddy, and Stella love you very, very much.
- Adapted from the movie, “The Help.”
Family Trip to Big Bear Lake
In Closing
Parker, you are amazing in so many ways. I think you are capable of doing something amazing with your life and as sad as it is for me, I can not wait to watch it unfold. You are that special.
I am crying with you !!! My son is growing up also !!
I know!! I can not believe Michael will be a Senior next year!! It’s hard to believe.
Aww.. this is the sweetest post I have read today!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by to read! I hope your day is awesome.
They just grow up way too fast. This is so sweet! I love this letter to your son.
Thanks so much, Desiree. I really appreciate it.
Such a beautiful letter. This inspires me to write one to my boys.
This made me absolutely tear up. Youre a great parent!
You are too kind. Most days are a struggle, but you know how it is.
What a sweet post. My son is creeping towards that stage (not just yet, he is seven) and I am not ready for him to get any bigger yet!
Thank you, Luna. It happens before you know it.
I can so relate to this. My son is right at the same age and is growing up so fast!
It’s so exciting and bittersweet all at the same time. Thanks for reading, Krystal.
Aww, this makes me want to give my daughter a big hug. So sweet.
I love all these thoughts. It’s nice to put down such nice thoughts.
This is so sweet. We are only months away from that big birthday, too! It’s so cool to see our little boys turn into big ones with hopes and dreams and everything in between!
You are so right about that. Thanks for stopping by and reading, Adirane.
I absolutely love what you’re teaching him. He I’m sure will grow to be a great, self aware, man.
Sarah, you just made my day. It’ so hard to parent and know that you’re teaching the right things, but this comment really touched me. Thank you!
How sweet I so love this! I wish I had done something like this for my son. He just turned 18 in December so bittersweet