Dear Mason,

My Mama/Baby class had a homework assignment a few weeks ago to write a letter to our baby describing what we hope for them and what we want to teach them. I, of course, leaped on the opportunity to wax poetic about all the great things I want to accomplish as a mother. And I figured you readers out there would love to know, as well. So for posterity, and the chance that the letter might be erased from our hard drive, I'm posting it out here to cyberspace.
Dear Mason,
We are laying here together in front of a good fire on a cold Sunday morning. I’m drinking my coffee...you are playing with your bee toy looking at me with the tip of your tongue sticking out. I wonder what you are thinking. I’m sitting here this morning thinking of all the things that I hope for you and for your life and wanted to write them down, so that some day you may read them (and hopefully I will have succeeded.)
I want you to appreciate and enjoy good food, good wine, and good coffee. Suggestions are: anything French, Silver Oak, and Jamaican Blue Mountain.
I want you to understand that everything should be enjoyed in moderation.
I want you to be creative - whether it is through painting, music, photography, design, film, or sculpture. I want to absorb you in art, so you can find your own form of expression.
I want you to learn about trust, respect, honesty, gratitude, and integrity. I’m not sure how those lessons will come to fruition in your life, but hopefully I can give you the tools to understand their meaning when it matters.
I want you to say “Please” and “Thank you” and say both with sincerity.
I want you to know that lying, cheating, and stealing are not worthwhile endeavors.
I want you to see beauty in all things. Great and small. Trivial and earth-shattering.
I want you to never be afraid of dancing or singing in front of other people.
I want you to travel. Visiting the far reaches of the world gives you perspective and humility and can open your eyes to what a beautiful (and sometimes terrible) world we live in. If you can, visit Angkor in Cambodia, the Galapagos Islands, London, Paris, and Africa.
I want you to find the value in hard work - learn how to push yourself in school, in sports, and in relationships. Life is not easy and success often takes time, but in the end all that work is worth it because it forces you to grow as a person.
I want you to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Be wise and self-confident, not conceited; be active, not obsessively body-conscious; be positive, not pessimistic.
I want you to embrace your family and your true friends - they represent where you came from and where you are going.
I want you to help others. This builds character and keeps your ego in check.
I want you to love to read. The Classics, Shakespeare, the Economist, newspapers. By the time you grow up, you will be even more in the age of the internet and less of print media. Nothing compares to curling up and reading a good book.
I want you to learn another language - Spanish, French, Russian, Mandarin - whatever strikes your fancy.
I want you to have a healthy appreciation for money - it is meant to be spent on things you love, invested, or given to those in need. Don’t spend more than you have. Don’t become materialistic. Be thrifty when you can.
I want you to love the outdoors and find a hobby that lets you enjoy it - hiking, climbing, paddling, running, biking, etc. We live in a beautiful world with many natural wonders, but they all hang in a fine balance. Appreciate it and protect it while you can. We will raft the Grand Canyon together someday and then you may understand.
I want you to discover your own sense of spirituality. It comes in different forms to different people, but is important to know yourself and what you believe - it is a life-long journey.
I want you to know what love is. The best way we can show you is to give you it unconditionally and help you understand how powerful it is.
I want you to find happiness through all the things I have mentioned. It is possibly what life is all about.
I hope that when you read this you are that person.
Love,
Mommie