Dear Jack: A Dad’s Letter to His Son on His 14th Birthday

14 years old!

Dear Jack,

Here recently, you have been making a point to reminisce with Mommy and me regarding your childhood memories; specifically the ones that now fall into the personal nostalgia category in your brain.

It got me thinking: What exactly were we doing a decade ago, since that is the point in time you have been referring to?

Whatever you were doing 10 years ago, I was doing too. My life is undeniably in tandem with yours.

So I decided to go back through my old letters to you from a decade ago; to the Fall of 2014.

I had just finished my 3 year stint as the officially daddy blogger of Parents magazine, but we were still being sent new vehicles for our family to review on my website. So I took a lot of pictures of our family wherever we went.

And by “our family”, I simply mean you, Mommy and me. Your sister was not even a thought yet. At that point, Mommy and I still assumed you would be an only child.

We were having our “new” house built and in the process of moving out of our townhome.

You were really into Legos, trains and superheroes.

It makes me feel good that as you look back on these memories, you remember your childhood as a fun, warm, and safe place to return to.

Because… I’m sort of responsible for that. I want you to feel solid in knowing that you have been raised, and will continue being raised, in a loving, encouraging, and empowering household where it is our intent to make life meaningful and create beautiful experiences.

Happy 14th birthday!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Christmas Crafts on Veterans Day

8 years, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

I appreciate that you are at the age, as well as the maturity level, that you can be off a day from school while Mommy and I work from home, and you can be happy without depending on watching a screen all day.

Monday was Veterans Day so you were at home with us. When I would make my way by the kitchen, it seemed that’s where you spent a good amount of your time; making Christmas crafts.

I think it is safe to say that creativity and curiosity are highly encouraged in our household.

Thank you for not being a screen-watching zombie all day!

I love to see you being crafty.

 

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your New Basketball Hoop

13 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack,

Your 14th birthday is still 9 days away, but thanks to Nonna and Papa, your first birthday present is now sitting in our front yard.

Nonna wanted you to be able to enjoy your basketball goal “early”, as the weather is still currently fairly warm. So this past Sunday after church, Papa came over so that the two of you could set it up.

This marks the first time in your life you have actually had your own basketball hoop. At our home in Tennessee, there were 2 or 3 in our neighborhood that you could easily access.

But this one is all yours.

 

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Like an Only Child Now?

8 years, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

It appears that your brother is at the age now where he is too cool for some of the childhood activities he used to love doing.

For example, he expressed no interest in pumpkins this year.

So that meant more pumpkins for you!

You spent some time painting a couple of pumpkins pink, to decorate our house.

And though it used to be your brother’s job, this year Mommy and I shared the responsibility of actually carving the Jack-O’-Lantern for you.

Similar to the way your brother spent the first 5 and a half years of his life as an only child, it’s like you are getting a sense of what it’s like to be an only “child”… now that your brother is a full-on teenager instead.

You’re still into childhood activities, while your brother has mostly outgrown them.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: You Went to the County Fair Here in Alabama

8 and a half years old.

Dear Holly,

Saturday morning, I received a message from Aunt Dana giving me a rundown of the expenses of the County Fair she had experienced the night before. Originally, our whole family was going to make a day out of it. But after her message, it quickly turned into, “Thank you for taking Holly to the fair so I don’t have to go!”

Lucky for you, you have an aunt you lives a few houses down from us who is faithful to assume the role of “Saturday morning hero” and take you to the fair with your cousins.

I am so happy for you that you had such a great time there! And I am almost just as happy that I didn’t have to go.

The pictures look like you had plenty of fun for the both of us though.

 

Love,

Daddy