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Yesterday someone told us-again- how lucky we are as a family. We
smiled and nodded our heads, but in reality, luck is a very small
part of what we’re all about. We’ve talked before about
our family and why people think we’re lucky, but I’d like
to put my own thoughts down in this letter.
I’ve shared my upbringing with you and, although I was loved,
it was a conditional love that gave way to a lot of confusion and
not being sure about who I was or what I was about. My promise to
you- and to myself when you were born- was that I would love you
unconditionally, showing and telling you each day, by example, with
hugs and kisses, communication and laughter, through arguments and
tears, how very special and unique you are.
We’re still working on parenting. As parents we continue to
make mistakes and try to apologize when we are wrong. We want you
to know that we’re not perfect just because we’re adults
and parents, that life is a learning experience for us as well.
What we are trying to instill in you is that it’s okay to make
mistakes and that the best thing about making them is that we can
learn from them, using them as stepping stones to becoming better
individuals and family members.
I think the main ingredients in our family are love, respect and
passion. The love we share with each other and the love we have
for ourselves shape how we approach life outside our home. You know
my definition of love-it’s a work in progress. It grows changes
shape, sometimes lies dormant, sometimes surprises us with its intensity
and always, always fills us with a sense of acceptance, trust, comfort,
and warmth.
Respect is a major component of love. We want you to have your own
opinions and thoughts and feel comfortable enough to discuss them
in a non-judgmental environment. We want you to be critical thinkers-to
be able to see both sides of an issue and make your own decisions
or conclusions while acknowledging the other person’s point
of view. My strong belief is that the respect we show for others
should begin with respect for each other in our home. We work very
hard in this area.
Passion- I think we live our lives with passion. That’s not
to say we don’t have our troublesome times, our down days,
but it does say that we have such a zest for living, finding joy
in being with each other, that it’s contagious. We are principled
in our beliefs and attempt to be leaders rather than followers when
we see a need for change. We try to be conscious of seeing the positive
rather than the negative. Does this mean we’re lucky? No. It
means we work hard at being a family.
So, my beautiful daughters, my wish is that as you grow and experience
life, you take our values and improve upon them, utilizing them
every day of your lives. I hope you continue to embrace life with
love and experience it with passion. I will love you forever.
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