A Letter to My Son

Son,

I have always wanted to write you a letter since you were born. But you know, you have taken up literally all the leisure time of your Mom and me, to an extent that I could hardly find a suitable time to sit down and write you a letter. So, here I am.

You have brought to the family some new dynamics. After you were born, your Grandpa hasn't been mad at anybody, and the whole family just loves you and focuses on you all the time. This is good. But I am secretly worried about it because I don't want you to be spoiled. You deserve all the love we have, but that does not mean that we will spoil you. And I am sure you will understand later that this is for your own good.

You have also enriched my life. I did not understand what parental love is before you were born. I never understand why parents would bring their kids to Disneyland despite that they have been to most of the Disneys in the world. I never understand why parents can sacrifice so much for their kids. Now I understand.

When I look into your eyes, I am touched by your angelic look. You are so perfect, so pure and so friendly. You have all the good features from your Mom and Dad! You are even cuter than your Dad when he was small. When I play with you in the morning before going to work, I don’t really want to say goodbye to you. Of course we’d like you to look smart and handsome. But don’t ever think that this is a big deal and the whole world will revolve around you because of that. More importantly, don’t look down on others who aren’t as good looking as you are. Don’t judge others purely by appearance. This is not God’s intention when he created you. Be self confident! By all means! But do not think or act in such a way that gives the impression of you being cocky. Your Dad suffered that a lot in the past. Don’t tread the same steps!

You have shown much interest in classical music. Well, perhaps I misread you when you looked as if you were paying attention when we played you Mozart, Beethoven, and even Mahler. Who cares? I am sure you must have enjoyed it, because you behaved so much better when there is music. You might wish to learn some instruments when you are a bit older, but if you don’t feel like it, I don’t mind. I just want you to have the ability to appreciate good music. And the good thing is, you have a fountain of resources at home if you want to pursue appreciation of music.

You also seem to like books whenever we show them to you. I hope you like reading because that’s where knowledge comes from. It would help you enormously, not only in terms of knowledge, but also language skill, which relates to your thinking. So develop a habit of reading. You won’t regret for it.

There are several things I would like to tell you. You have to remember them for the rest of your life. First, you are not a problem. You are a gift from God. No one could do anything to make you worthless, and nobody can take away the Love of God and the love of your parents. No matter what other people do, you will remain the most precious one in His eyes. There will come a time you will feel frustrated, helpless, and even useless. Just remember, you are not a problem. You are a gift from God.

Second, you are always welcome to come to your Mom and me for whatever problem you face, because we love you. And we love you not because of any other reasons, but just because you are our son. You may sometimes think that your parents are harsh and they do not understand you. But remember they are the only ones who love you unconditionally on earth. So do come home whenever you like. You are always welcome.

The last thing is: you are unique and have all the potentials to be an outstanding individual. Do strike for the best in your life. Have a dream! Go for it! If you can’t make it, don’t despair. It is your effort and determination that count. Build your character by facing failure. Grab the opportunity to grow and learn when there is failure. Make sure you admit your mistake and don’t make them again. Get on with your life, then you will have improvement every time you face a problem. Persist in it. I am sure you will find your way eventually. Listen to the small voice in your heart, as it is always telling you what you should do.

Be strong and be good. Be a real man when you grow up. I look forward to seeing a lovely little boy turning into a useful person contributing to the community. Bring laughters to those around you. Be weird whenever you can. Don't fear to be a non-conformist!

I hope this is not too much for you to digest. I shall keep writing to you. I hope this is a good start.

With all my love,

Dad