Hang In There Baby

To my greatest loves,

Your hearts are innocent, kind, and energetic. You live with such excitement! It's admirable to see the curiosity in your eyes. I hope you never lose it. Any of it! Today I want you to know how much I love you. I want you to know how much you are enjoyed, adored, and loved by me and everyone else in your world! You deserve to know these things above all else in your life. I am such a blessed young woman to be in these lives of yours. I may not be there for every little scrape and bruise along your path, but I'm a simple phone call, skype date, or FaceTime away! Your life is simply the most precious thing in my life. You have no idea how lucky I feel to be your aunt and to two of you, your God mother.  I wanted to tell you a few things that life will throw at you that I know will suck, but that I also know you can conquer! 

Homework: Do it! End of discussion. It'll be sucky when you have it over the weekend, or when you're out sick for a day and it piles up, or as you grow older and it gets harder. Just do it. Sit down, concentrate hard, and I know that all you little smarty pants will dominate your homework. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Never stop wanting to know things. Always ask questions. Be smart! College is a must. It's going to make you little men better than the men I know you will be!

Peer pressure: It's totally ok to say no! It's fine with the world if you run a million miles in the other direction if you don't want to do something someone wants you to do (except for your homework. Sorry buds. Do that). No matter what age you'll have your friends trying to convince you to do things that most of the time won't be good for you. Think about what they're asking of you before you make any type of decisions. If you won't benefit from it, then say no. I'm telling you a few things right now that you'll get told/asked to do is; 

       

      -- To try smoking. I've tried it. It's gross, it stinks, it's ugly, it's a mistake, and most important of all it's unhealthier than you'll ever understand! It can kill you and it's not worth your young beautiful lives. So do me a favor, do yourselves a favor, do NOT bother with cigarettes!!!

     

      -- To try drinking. Sure, growing up you'll watch us grown ups enjoy some drinks but that goes without saying that some of us have made some major mistakes in our lives because of a drink that comes in what looks like a soda can, that you must acquire a taste to, that smells kinda funny, and that makes you have to burp and pee a lot. When you are old enough to fully understand, I will be the first person to tell you the mistakes I made when I was a teenager. The things that had I done differently may have landed me elsewhere in life. Just be smart about drinking. Don't you ever get in a car with someone who's been drinking. Don't you ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you've had one sip of alcohol. Don't you dare mess that one up!!

Ok so those are the two biggest things, but you get the point. Think about your decisions. If it's something that Papa, Grandma, Aunt Jill, or mommy and daddy would not be proud of you doing then just don't do it!

Heartbreaks: One day, you, my little princes, will find amazing women that make your hearts skip a beat. That are truly your better halves. These women will make you want to be better men for them and for yourself! When you find that, hold onto it. The most beautiful thing in the world is love. But this goes without saying that, like girls have to kiss a million frogs before she finds her Prince Charming, well you boys have to be those frogs at times. Sometimes you may really like the girl and she just doesn't feel the same. Just know that God has a better more amazing, beautiful, and fun girl waiting for you. When one door closes, God opens a window for you. I have been fortunate enough in life to love deeply. It's ok to be open to feeling something so strong. You don't have to be afraid of it. If it hurts, cry. If it is love, say so. Don't hold back, guys!

Don't ever purposely break someone's heart. Karma exists and it will bite you in the butt, gentlemen! When it comes time to talk about the birds and the bees, please remember how important it is to not be young and stupid about it. Be smart and be safe, that's all I'll say about that because well let's be honest here, you're still just a handful of babies in my eyes!! 

Mean people: No matter where you go in this world, you will meet good and bad people. When you're told not to judge a book by its cover, it's very true. You don't know what someone's story is. You don't know if picking on someone will cause them to harm themself or someone else, or my worst fear, you! Do not allow yourselves to be mean, angry, young souls. Be kind. (Rewind) ((sorry, 80's-90's kid reference)). Smiling at another person truly can make their day better. Offer to help someone when possible. You have the ability to rub off on those around you. Be a leader, not a follower! You have an opportunity as young men in this world, to change the way grown ups view your generation. Stick up for those that are beaten down by rude people on the regular. It may cause you to get picked on too, but I promise that if you know who you are as a tiny human, teenager, young adult, or grown men, if you are confident and comfortable with that, then what others say and do to you will be child's play and you will be able to overcome anything! 

      *** Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. ***

      *** I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. ***

That's what we used to say when I was a kid. It does hold true to life. Smile, be sweet to people my boys! Make me proud!!

Jobs: Maybe your first job will be in high school, or like me, in college. Maybe you won't have a job until you're a college graduate and starting as an intern for some phenomenal company somewhere in the world. Whatever the job it is you have, may it be easy or hard, do your best. Always give it your all. If you're serving someone their cheeseburger and fries, you do it with a smile and do it right and quick. If you're selling someone a pair of jeans, you tell them which pairs you think would look best on them and if you were wrong about your opinion then you admit your fault and be honest with the customer. If you are teaching someone something, you make sure you teach them the proper way to do it. You don't want to be responsible for anyone's mistakes but your own. 

Always be willing to learn a new trade. You never know when and where an opportunity or your talents may lie. Maybe you'll be an awesome baseball player in high school, get a college scholarship for it, play in the minors, and one day be called up to the majors (an aunt can only wish). Whatever path you choose, choose it with passion. Love what you do. You will do it your whole life. It's not a job if you love what you do!

I realize that some of these are the most obvious things that you'll learn in your lives, but they're the most valuable things that you'll learn in your lives. They're the most true things. I want you to know that mistakes do happen and I'll be right there to tell you about mine the second that you make yours. But do your best not to make the same ones I have. Do your best to open your hearts and your minds to this amazing life you've been given. You are the lights of my life. Colton, London, LJ, and Alykzander, you boys will never know the love I have for you! Just know that I do love you and that whatever life throws your way I'm a shoulder to lean, cry, and laugh on. Forever, the greatest loves of my life!

I love you forever and always to the moon and back,

Aunt Jill