January 21, 2009
To my grandsons:
Tyler and Dylan,
You are a miracle of life and I am blessed to have you in mine. You are the cord that ties one generation to another. You are a part of me and a part of the legacy of wonderful people who came before you. You bear a history of which you may know very little, but a history that you now carry the torch. You cannot change your history. You can create your own future!
You are really a very special person. You will have to learn for yourself how best to grow into the special person you already are. You are perfect in every way. You are also “imperfectly perfect.” That is to say dear boys, “you are human.” And it’s OK to be human. The other choices aren’t very exciting.
Never loose that humanity. Look to the outside world and try to make it better. Reach outside yourselves to touch someone’s lives to make a better life for them. Be kind. And from doing so, you will make the world a better place and you will become a better person for having done it.
And look inside yourself and find peace with who you are. Be kind to yourself. Find inspiration in education, sports, music, art or whatever makes you feel good. And try your BEST to feel good about yourself. It may not always be an easy task, but don’t depend on other people to make you happy. Be happy because you’re being the BEST person you can be at the time. And give yourself plenty of time.
Make mistakes. It’s OK, but also learn from them. But don’t make the same mistake twice. That’s not learning; that’s being lazy. There’s a time for being physically lazy, but try always to be mentally alert. You won’t want to miss something!
And life is full of “some things”. Things like birthdays, bike rides, baseball games, or even a “cool” dance. Be artful. I know something about that. I pass on to you my passion for that creative energy.
When you read a book that can make you cry; when you laugh out loud at a play; or when you quietly contemplate the meaning of a piece of art, know that those are the “some things” in life that cannot be measured. Those are the things that can only be experienced.
And try your BEST to experience it all. Take risks, but know the best and the worse scenarios that can come out of that experience. If you know both extremes, then you know what the possibilities are. I wish you unlimited positive possibilities.
I wish you the possibilities of education, of travel and the challenge of mastering a skill. And be skillful when you navigate these paths. While the world will throw you challenges, none is more challenging than those goals you set for yourself.
And please, set noble goals for yourself. Don’t sell yourself short. If you do, you’re the one who’s doing the selling. You are capable of so much more than you know.
You will make money. You will be handsome. You will excel at whatever you do. I already know that. But I must tell you, there will be people who make more money, are better looking and seem to always get the brass ring. Be happy for them and be happy for what you have. Being jealous is a waste of energy.
Be energetic. Be physical. Use your body. It’s the greatest instrument you have. But don’t abuse it. It is a gift that can be taken away at any time. Use your time today as if you don’t have tomorrow. When every tomorrow comes, be grateful for that day.
Here’s a big one. Try not to WORRY! I’ve never been able to master this seemingly easy task. I have faith that you may be able to tell me someday. But don’t worry about it if you cannot.
Use humor. Not the cutting kind of humor that makes fun of someone or something, rather be the kind of “funny” that makes people smile. And do smile as often as you can. Try your best to be charming, and not tedious. No one ever heard of Prince Tedious.
Measure your life in the number of friends you make. Realize as well that some friendships are for a reason, some for a season and some are forever. I wish you many forever friendships. And some friendships will lead to love.
Love is the unmeasured quantum that joins humanity. It will someday join you to another human being. You will find a partner in life. Be true to yourself and find the person who deserves your love and to whom you can love unconditionally. Don’t judge. Don’t allow yourself to be judged. Do love.
That’s a nice place to end my thoughts to you; on love. One of my favorite quotes is from a move, “The Boy With Green Hair”. I highly recommend it. And so it goes:
“The greatest gift you’ll ever know is to love and to be loved in return.”
I have loved and have been loved. For that I am grateful.
I hope you keep this letter and read it at different times in your life. It is my gift to you. I love you unconditionally. You are my gift. And for that, I am the most grateful.
Pops
We have taken them on their first walk and they really enjoyed being outside, they showed their enjoyment by sleeping ever so perfectly. Maybe we could attach our bed to the stroller and have a dog pull the bed and family around the neighborhood at night so we can all sleep together. Dylan & Tyler are really growing into their personalities already, both of them make their own cute little faces and Dylan loves to play with his food. Dylan will fill his mouth with formula and then wait until we take the bottle out and ever so perfectly let it drool down his face as he smiles. Tyler can clear an entire building with the smell from his farts, were considering investing in some gas masks. I always update everyone about the boys but I wanted to let everyone know Mommy & Daddy are doing great too. Outside of being exhausted we are really enjoying the family. At times things can get a little hectic but we have great support and love for each other. Mommy has been so good at helping Daddy get some extra rest on work nights and Daddy is so grateful. Daddy is so proud of Mommy for being so perfect in every way. Daddy loves Mommy more than anything in the whole wide universe. Though our alone time is limited now the love is still ever so strong and grows stronger everyday. We are learning that having a family throws new challenges at you every day and sometimes those challenges are fun and sometimes not so fun but most of all nothing compares to the love of our family. I love you Miharu with all my heart 
