Dear Son:
You won the middle school spelling bee today. You, as a 6th grader, beat out all the 7th and 8th graders to take the cake. I’m so proud of you! I’m thankful for your intelligent mind. But I have to offer some advice:
- Winning isn’t everything. –Don’t get me wrong. Winning is great, as long as you worked your hardest to get to the top. But sometimes the lessons are in the journey and not in the winning.
- While you’re floating on Cloud 9, keep your feet grounded. — Yes, you are intelligent. Sometimes too much so. But never forget that no matter how smart you are, it’s important to be kind and humble. It’s the kindness and humility that will gain you the respect from others you truly desire.
- Be proud of yourself. — You should be proud, but tomorrow, you’ll need to get back to work. You’ll need to study and grow. This moment will pass.
- I’ll love you unconditionally.– Do these moments in your life make me proud? YOU BETCHA! But if you had never won a spelling bee or lead a youth band or assembled motors at a young age, I’d still be proud of you. My pride and love don’t stem from the things you do. They stem from who you are. You are mine. My kid. It’s your heart that makes me proud.
I love you (even if you don’t win spelling bees.)
~Mom
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