Pearls of Wisdom for Gavin

I have read a lot of postings on Pinterest that are lists mothers have made for their children. "25 Things I Want My Son To Know", "Wishes for My Children" or "Rules for Moms of Boys". So of course my mind was flooded with all sorts of things I want to tell Gavin. I plan on putting this blog into a book. A keepsake of sorts so that I can remember moments and feelings that are so easily forgotten over time. And so Gavin will never forget what he has meant and will always mean to me. I wanted to jot down my own list; my tiny little pearls of wisdom. I don't claim to know it all and I certainly will have SO much more to learn as we both grow as parent and child. But all of these things will remain of constant importance:

Pearl #1: R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Respect your parents, your teachers, your friends, your country, your world and yourself. Say please and thank you, use ma'am and sir, open doors for others, recycle, don't litter and every time you hear our national anthem, take off your hat and put your hand over your heart. Earning people's respect gives you great power and respecting yourself gives you great confidence. Both will be invaluable to you one day.

Pearl #2: Work hard for everything. If it's a toy you want, work for it. If it's the third base position, work for it. Straight A's, work for it. Winning a girl's heart, work for it. Everything worth having takes a lot of work to get. Nothing is ever free.

Pearl #3: Talk to me. I will never judge you and I will always listen. Even when you think I will not understand or I might be angry with you, talk to me. Whatever it is, we will work it out. I will never tire of hearing your voice when it speaks to me. And on that note, I will tell you I love you more than you will wish to hear and it will no doubt get on your last nerve. But in those moments of eye rolling and exaggerated sighs, please remember to say it back. They might be just words to you but they will mean everything to me.

Pearl #4: Emulate your dad. I believe the best thing I ever did for you was give you a man like him for a father. He puts his family first, takes his job seriously and walks strongly in his faith. There will be times when you think he is too tough or wants too much. It is because he expects great things from you. I have never seen him more proud than the day you came into this world. I know you will give him many more moments of pride throughout your life. Just listen and learn from him. Everything he has to teach you will earn you much in life and love.

Pearl #5: I will always worry over you. When I learned I was pregnant with you, I worried for your health. When we brought you home, I worried about you being in the crib. When you started eating solid foods, I worried you would choke. This is a pattern I am sure I will continue to carry on and the worry will grow the more you do. Just be patient with me. I always, eventually, let you go and allow you to take that extra step you need to get to where you're going. You are everything to me. The thought of allowing you to get hurt or be disappointed is a tough choice for me to make. I want to protect you but I also have to let you experience all that life has to offer. I will always kiss your boo-boos, calm your fears and catch your tears. Nothing is too much for me when it comes to you. But I will always worry!

Pearl #6: You gotta have faith. Have faith in your parents. You are our first child. Every step and journey we take with you will be new to us. As we are teaching you, you will no doubt teach us. Trust that we know what is best for you even when we make mistakes. Have faith in yourself. Make the right decisions and for those few times that you don't, trust you will learn from them. Know that you are the best you that you can be, even when others don't see it. Simply have faith. Turn to God in those times of need and in the moments of thankfulness. Your relationship with Him will greatly shape the person you will become. And He has big plans for you!

Pearl #7: Don't just exist, live. Travel. Explore. Get active. Be a part of a team. Create something. Use your imagination when you're bored. Make people remember you by being a light in their life. Leave your mark on the world and be an asset to society. Make your story an interesting one!

And that is pretty much it. Short and simple. I will always love you, I will always hug you and your father and I will always be your home. I am confident you will learn and cherish this list. My conviction stems from a refusal to fail you as a parent. If there is one thing I do in this life, my mark to leave on the world, it is to give you the tools and guidelines to accomplish anything you wish. I can't wait to watch you do it.