I posted on Facebook and other places last week that my son was beginning his adult life.  Moving out of our home and starting to live life on his terms.  As his mom – I got emotional when it actually hit me he was moving out and would never again really be mine 100%.  He’s always made me proud.  He will always be my little boy with the sweet smile, blue eyes, chubby little cheeks; the little guy that always put others first – at least that’s what he will always be in my heart.  I knew I couldn’t post anything right after he left or it would be overly emotional.  Embarrassing him for all of eternity.  :D

So, I waited.  A whole week – and I sat and thought about some things I wanted to tell him.   Again – I knew I would be overly mushy and mom-like…so I am going to simply throw out a reminder about a “song” that was popular just a few years back, or so it seems.  There is a LOT of good advice in it…forgive me if I take a few liberties and add some truths I have found to be important in my own personal life – these are just some of the  things I want him to know.

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT!

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proven by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.

You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.  Trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blind side you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts and don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Let those you love know that you love them.

Let others know who the love of your life is; even on the days the love is harder to find.

Don’t let the everyday living take that love away – always keep your heart open to them.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Keep God first in your life – even when life throws you a curve ball.  He is there during those times – you just have to remember that.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life.

The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

When you do commit to something – do it to the best of your ability.

Take your daily vitamin D-3 – it helps keep you healthy.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either.

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, your body is the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read muscle magazines, they will only make you feel inferior.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends will come and go, there are but a precious few you should hold onto for life.

Think before you act – will your actions hurt someone in a  way that will destroy them or forever alter their lives in a bad way?

Don’t ever do that.

Be selfless; not selfish.

You can’t undo things you’ve already done.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography with your friends and family because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in a big city once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Spend your money wisely.

Don’t worry too much about your hair those that truly love you – don’t care about your hair.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

Love your mom (and dad too)!  :D

But – trust me on the sunscreen.

May you live a blessed, full, exciting and VIBRANT life Matthew.

I am so very proud of you!

Keep going – make the world a better place.

Love you,

Mom