Dear Son

Dear Son,

I miss you man.  It’s funny, but you’re the person I interact with the most.  Stupid, serious, silly, or sad…you’ve seen sides of me that I don’t share with anyone.  Our relationship is easily the healthiest and longest lasting one I’ve ever had.

I’ve always had this thing with the military because of my dad, so I’m a little jaded.  When you told me that you were going to join, I was caught off guard. Looking at it now, I shouldn’t have been.  You’ve never done easy, and you’ve always moved onto the next big thing.  The times being what they are, this is beyond big…and there’s no better man for it. Your moral compass is impeccable and you always make the hard and right choice.

I’m so proud of you.  Can’t say it enough. I just don’t want you to lose your joy. Man, you’re the light. “Be a product of your environment or make the environment a product of you.” With you it’s always been the latter. Do your thing and make them like you.

When you were little, you were nonstop. From the time you opened your eyes until complete exhaustion and passed out, nonstop. You would run, jump, and crawl around with your Spider-Man suit, your Wolverine claws, and your Hulk hands. And then you would do this thing right before you took a nap. Everytime. You’d lie on the floor on your stomach, arms extended in front of you, legs stretched out. You looked like Superman. You couldn’t get enough of the superhero lore. You’ve always been mine. Now everyone else gets to see why.

All that said, I need to take a moment to thank you. Thank you for helping me get over my family stuff, my anger, my heartbreaks, and my melancholy.  Thank you for helping me grow up and realize what my purpose is.  A coach to my players, a friend to my friends, and your dad. Thank you allowing me to fumble and fall along the way toward finally fulfilling a promise I made to myself. I became the man I needed when I was young. Being your dad brought out the best of what I have to offer the world.

You’re my favorite person. You’re the best person I know. You’re the greatest. I love you.

Dad