Dear Max, Owen, and Audrey,
When you were born something changed inside of me.
Something shifted. It was slow but it happened.
Suddenly the world was not about me. It wasn't about what I wanted.
It changed into a world of what you needed. At first it was painful.
Living for yourself is easy. Living for others is one of the hardest things you can do.
But when you make a choice to live for others and not yourself
something happens, something changes. Living for others is the secret sauce.
When you begin to live for others and not yourself you arrive at moments of happiness,
moments of gratitude and moments of contentment.
Contentment is the Holy Grail. It's the ultimate prize.
It's a prize that you can win and then you misplace it and then you have to go and find it again.
It is in that pursuit of contentment that you find adventure,
you find love, you find out what you're made of.
There are so many things that a dad should teach you.
How to tie a tie, how to mow the lawn,
how to drive a stick, change a tire, teach a solid handshake.
What I wanna teach you is the secret stuff stuff. The stuff that is learned by experience.
The stuff that can't be put into a list.
Know that happiness is a choice.
Happiness is not found in stuff.
Follow your heart, not the money. Money is nice but it won't make you happy.
Learn to work hard. Your Great Grandpa Joe was a hard worker.
He had three jobs at all times. He drove a bus, plowed snow, and fixed his own brakes.
Hard work and enthusiasm will win over any diploma or certificate.
Max, be adventurous, take risks, hitch hike.
Adventure only begins when something goes wrong.
Before you get married, go on an adventure with that person and call me when you get back.
This will be a good Litmus test to see if they are the one.
Learn to ride something with two wheels...
and learn how that machine works.
Your great grandpa Ed taught me how to fall on a motorcycle and how to get back up.
The smell of oil and metal is good for your soul.
Owen,
learn to work with your hands. Learn how things work and learn how to fix it.
This will make you better.
Learn to fight for those who can't fight.
And never stop asking why. If you can answer why
then you win.
Make people laugh, be weird, be wild.
Don't let people tell you to step in line or to get with the program.
Make your own to-do list
and don't just do someone else's list.
Audrey,
Know that you're beautiful inside and out.
Don't let anyone tell you how you should be or how you should act just because you're a girl.
Be confident and be strong.
Chase love.
When you fall in love, dive in headfirst and don't look back.
You will get your heart broken.
And when you do, remember my heart was broken many times before I met your mom.
Do whatever your mom says. She is much smarter and wiser than I will ever be.
When you find a love like your mom and I have, guard it with everything inside of you.
Each of you will go down different paths and no matter what that path is,
believe in something bigger than yourself.
Life will try to drag you down,
but when you have something to believe in, it will lead you to a full life that you can be proud of.
I believe in our family, I believe in our friends
Belief is my True North.
When you stop believing in something it's like a parasite
and will kill all hope.
Know that in our family there will always been second chances
and that there's always unconditional love.
Throughout your life, you will mess up
and I will be there to help you clean it up.
Just like my dad was there for me when I messed up.
I won't always be perfect and we won't always agree,
but know that I love you and that you will never walk alone.
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