Dear Little Boy | A Letter to My Nephews
This letter is dedicated to my nephews and all little men everywhere.
Dear Little Boy,
I remember holding you when you were just weeks old, your eyes aglow with wonder. Every sight and sound, new and fascinating. Exploring every new texture, reaching out to knit your chubby little fingers into it, all the while learning the concept of soft and wet and cold and squishy.
You used to love to sit on my lap and read books, or point to faces in framed family portraits and tell me the names of all your aunts and uncles. Or sing the itsy-bitsy spider song and giggle as I taught you the alphabet in sign language. Now, you are too big to sit with me, and even if you weren't, you are much too busy exploring the world around you.
You are growing up so fast, and before long, you'll be on your way to college and maybe getting married and having kids of your own, so before time gets away from us, I wanted to share a few of my dreams for you and your future.
If you have a dream you want to pursue in life, go after it with the same fervor that you do with an ice cream cone. No matter how big - whether you want to be a chef or a professional baseball player or a teacher - tackle your goals with both hands and don't let anyone tell you that you can't have it. I know you are destined for big things.
I know there will come a time in your life when someone tells you that boys don't cry, but I want to tell you that this is simply not true. It is ok to cry. It is human nature to feel and express emotion and doing so says nothing about the type of man that you are. Rather than bottling up your feelings, learn how to manage them in an appropriate way. When you are sad, you don't need to hide your tears. When you are driven to anger, you can use your words to resolve the conflict instead of your fists. You'll lead a much happier life if you give up the idea that you need to be so "macho" all the time.
I hope that you always remain humble, never thinking of yourself as superior to anyone. Never look down on your fellow man, but instead, be empathetic towards others and offer your hand when someone needs a lift up. Be blind to the labels that society places on people. Rather than seeing someone for their outer shell, look at their qualities and abilities as a human. You'll make deeper connections with others when you go through life this way.
Treat women with respect and think of them as your equals - in school, in work, in places of worship. Help break down the patriarchy that has for so long, excluded us and minimized us as the lesser gender. One day you might have a daughter and the views you have about women now will determine the type of woman she grows up to become.
On the same note, remember that playing an active part in your children's lives makes you no less of a man. You are just as capable of warming a bottle or changing a diaper or videotaping their first bike ride as your partner is. Look at the relationship you have with your own parents and recall the roles they played and how they affected you. Don't ever take a backseat in your opportunity to be a parent because of the fear or belief that your job should be the one outside of the home. Be a dad first, then a career man.
Most of all, I hope you never lose your passionate curiosity for life. From the time you were tiny, you were enthralled with everything around you and wanted to examine every bug, stick, and tractor you saw. I pray that you have the opportunity to travel the four corners of the world one day, and explore it with the same fascination that you did your backyard at the age of three.
Lots of Love,
Aunt Lecy
