An Open Letter to Our Children

As I have shared over the past few days, my husband and I spent Valentine’s evening consoling our son and daughter, neither who enjoyed their first fickle smack of Cupid’s backhand.

Our talks were long and heartfelt, and we spent more time listening than talking. “A parent is only as happy as their saddest child” played over and over again in my head. Jim and I stayed up even later, talking about times we were hurt or embarrassed as young kids, and how it felt to try to go to school the next day to face the masses.

I awoke Tuesday morning to find the following three-page note on the kitchen table for Jordan and Jamie to read before they left for school:

“Hi guys,

Good morning to you both. I know yesterday was not the best day that either of you have had. So today I want you to do something for me. Take my advice…

1) Dress up today. Take the time to look as awesome as you are.

2) I want you both to tell yourselves that I AM GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY TODAY.

3) I want you to go to school and act as happy as you can (nothing bothers people more than to know that their best efforts to ruin your life have not made any impact on you at all).

4) Remember that the only person who needs to like who you are is YOU!

5) Remind yourself how much love and happiness that is waiting for you here at home, and how lucky you are to always have a place like that to come home to.

6) Mean people are really unhappy deep down, and they don’t have the happiness you do. That’s probably why they act so terribly. If you think about them like that you could almost feel sorry for them.

7) If someone tries to make you feel badly today – laugh at them. It will drive them crazy!

8) Mom and I and all of the people who know you tell us they hope their kids can be as wonderful as you.

9) No matter what, in the end, everything will be all right, and you will come home to all the love in the world.

I am so proud of both of you, and would not change one thing about either one of you. I love you, I am proud of the people you have become, and nothing that anyone says could ever change that.

I love you! You are the best. Tell yourself that over and over today.

Love, Dad”

Jordan and Jamie both came home from school Tuesday happy and smiling. One crisis down, handled with grace, fingers crossed for the others to follow.