Dear Jake,
This is you.
You were only two weeks old when this photo was taken after you were born on Oct. 5, 2007.
Well, this isn't the actual photo, of course; this is a drawing of the original photo that I made for you and Mommy -- a Thanksgiving present on Nov. 27, 2008. It's amazing how ambitious you can be with a six pack of Sam Adams.
When we took this photo you were already picking your head up and trying to push yourself up by your arms when we put you on your tummy. That's probably part of the reason you already have a six pack of your own and little pecs at the ripe old age of four.
Oh, and about that ... I meant to start this blog as soon as you were born. I thought it would be cool to write to you every day as you grew up, but all the crying, pooping, and initial shock of being a new dad kind of got me sidetracked. And now you already even have a little brother ... talk about procrastinating!
But better late than never, right?
I know you're too young to read this today, even though I think you're only a couple years away from being able to read me books at night. You can already sing the alphabet and identify letters A through E even when I mix up the order of the letters. And don't even get me started on how well you can count. One through 20 is a breeze for you, and with a little help you can get all the way to 100!
But back to reading. I know you may not read this blog for many years. That's actually the intent. And maybe you won't even want to read it at all; that's okay, too. But if you do, I just want you to know that there's really no "grand plan" here. I usually have to have some emotional attachment to something in order to write about it in the first place, so you'll probably find a lot of variety from one letter to the next.
Moreover, some of the stuff I write about might be confusing at first, depending on how old you are when you read it or how familiar you happen to be with that particular topic. And my opinions on some things might be different than yours or even Mommy's. The important thing to understand is that it's always good to keep an open mind when it comes to other people and their opinions, even if you think they're wrong. Remember, you're the one who's wrong in their mind. Some of the most important stuff I ever learned came as a result of someone else pointing out why I was wrong.
Finally, I want you to know that you and your brother can always come to me for anything (well, except maybe money because I don't have a lot of that). If you read something on this blog that you don't understand, ask me to explain it. Or argue with me about it. Intelligent discussion and debate help the mind grow.
My vision for this blog is to provide you and your brother with a roadway to my thoughts and opinions that you may not travel just by talking to me in person. I realize sometimes it's hard to ask your parents for advice when the perception might be that you actually care what we think! But I believe that one of the best gifts you can give your children is wisdom. And an appreciation of music. Definitely music!
One of the biggest flaws human beings often have is the inability to realize when they're wrong and then to actually admit it. But narrow-mindedness can lead to everything from intolerance and hatred to fistfights and even war. We don't all need to agree on everything, but we need to know how to get along with one another when we don't. (It doesn't help that marijuana's illegal, but we'll get to that topic in due time.)
When I was in high school it seemed like there were cool kids and there were smart kids. Like they were two mutually exclusive groups. But when I got to college (where almost everyone was smart), I realized quickly that it was possible to be cool and smart. In fact, I was always impressed by some of the athletes I knew who could've gotten away with being arrogant and dumb, but who instead chose to be smart and kind. These are the hallmarks of the well-rounded individual.
Well, Jake, you and your brother already are the two handsomest little dudes I've ever seen. And somehow I know you're both going to be very athletic. My challenge is how to help you both become the most intelligent and respectful young men you can be. I hope this blog is a start.
As I finish this inaugural entry of the blog I'm already starting to wonder whether your brother is going to be upset that your name's the only one in the title. After all, Rex is only a year old but you guys are already pretty competitive. I think I have a solution, though: I'll just keep everything the way it is until he's old enough to complain about it. Heh, problem solved!
All right, Jake, time to run. I have to get home to see you both and start packing for our trip to Rehoboth Beach this weekend!
Love,
Daddy
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