A few years ago, I offered up a challenge to some of my blogging friends:
What if you could only write one more post? What would you want to say?
The resulting posts—most of which are still available via links at the bottom of the article linked above—were a mix of insight, inspiration, levity, and reflection. At the time, my daughter was only a few months old, and while my wife took the opportunity to pen a beautiful letter to her, my thoughts were more general. I hadn't found my footing as a parenthood writer then (still not sure I have now, frankly). But looking back, I see this as a missed opportunity.
So, I'm rebooting the last post challenge. If you're a blogger, what would you say if you could only write one more post? Write it up and drop a link in the comments below. If you aren't a blogger, feel free to just write your thoughts on legacy and last words in the comments directly.
As for me? This time I'm writing to my kid.
--
Hey monkey,
First and foremost, never ever forget that your mom and I love you more than you'll ever understand unless you choose to have kids of your own one day. Then maybe you'll get it.
I'm so proud of how curious and brave you are. At four years old you've already had adventures and experiences that will last a lifetime, and while Mom gets a bunch of credit for putting you into positions to experience those things, you get full marks for diving in headfirst—sometimes literally. (On that note, please be more careful about where you dive headfirst. Your neck won't always be so spongy.) Never lose that. Challenge yourself. Try new things. Don't worry about how silly you might seem to those around you—silly's always worked pretty well for me, anyway.
I also love how smart and beautiful you are, though it worries me that you also seem to know how smart and beautiful you are. Self awareness is good, but you'll need to work on empathy and humility in equal measure. You're four. You'll figure it out in time. But never forget that your gifts are only as good as your ability to share them. Take care of other people. Do nice things for other people. Be the sort of friend you want in your own life and you'll do fine. With awesome power comes awesome responsibility and all that (if you don't get the reference, just ask Auntie Meaghan, she'll explain it).
You're going to make mistakes in your life. If you don't, you're not trying hard enough. So dwell on them only for as long as it takes to extract the lesson, then move on. Be open to failure from time to time, it's far more interesting than only seeing success.
And given that your mom and dad spend a lot of time on Twitter, I'll wrap up with some tweet-sized bits of advice.
Lastly, kiddo, take care of your mom. She's smarter than both of us combined and she's the most important person you'll ever have in your corner.
Love always,
Your dad.
If you liked this, you might also like "The Most Important Conversations To Have With My Daughter" and "Dear 60-Year-Old Me."
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