A LETTER TO MY NEPHEW 

Dear nephew,
First things first: welcome to the world!!! We have been waiting over 9 months to meet you, or at least that’s the rumor. The doctors have all said that you’ve been running late on your arrival, but I’m pretty sure you are right on time. 
As I’m writing this, you haven’t been born yet. Your mom just went into labor with you, so I headed over to your mom and dad’s house to watch your sister while they go to the hospital to prepare for your big debut in this life. I just wanted to write you a note to give you a little introduction to the people you will meet when you first open your eyes. These are only the people on your mommy’s side of the family. Your daddy’s side is out of this world amazing, and they can’t wait to meet you this summer! Here are some bits and pieces about your welcome crew:

MOMMY: Oh man, little man, are you ever lucky. If anyone was actually born to be a mother, it’s your mommy. She is also my big sister, and when I was little she took care of me, protected me, and made sure I knew right from wrong. She leads by example, and isn’t afraid to stand up against injustice and for what is right and what is good. She always thinks of others, and is constantly thinking of ways to make the world a better place. She loves to eat cereal when she’s pregnant, so If you really dig captain crunch with crunch berries, you’ll have her to thank. Her dance moves are awesome, and haven’t changed in 25 years. She will never hide the truth from you…so be ready for that. It can get brutal, buddy. Haha. Call me anytime. She has her own style, and isn’t afraid to be herself, and she is a lot of her friend’s “best friend.” She’s mine, too. A few times in my life, little nephew, I have been lost and broken. In these times your mommy has always fiercely searched for me, and when she found me, she put me back together with her love. I am a better me because of her, and because of her, you will be an amazing man someday. Listen to her.

DADDY: You want to know my favorite thing about your daddy? It’s the way he’s such an amazing husband to your mommy, and the best father ever to your sister. I mean, you seriously hit the jackpot kid. Not only can your dad put on a full on water ski stunt show by himself, but he can also construct and build just about anything you can think of out of wood and various materials. He’s a jack of all trades for sure, because he can cook too. Just get used to a lot of meat and potatoes. That’s his speciality. Not only that, he gives great advice, and will always tell you the truth. No subject is off limits, trust me. Your Daddy has been there for me when he absolutely didn’t have to be, and has always supported my various goals and adventures. That’s just the kind of man he is. A good one, who loves with his whole heart. And his muscles are huge too. Hopefully you’ll get those. He will be your rock in this life, steadfast and true. Never doubt that.

NANA: Your nana is mine and your mommy’s mother. She managed to raise us to be pretty amazing people, I think. She taught us to stand up for ourselves, and how to see the humor in everything. She taught me about unconditional love through her living example. Her life hasn’t always been easy, but she doesn’t believe in complaining. She is a special woman, with a giant heart. You’ll find that the softest places in nana’s heart are for babies and animals. Always trust people like nana, with soft spots like these. It’s a sign of a beautiful soul. No baby boy, your nana isn’t talking funny. She’s from England and has a funny accent. It’s even better when your mommy and I impersonate her. You’ll see. Your nana is usually stressed out. That stress usually comes from things that she has made up to be stressed out about, or when your papa comes around after he’s been to the Mermaid all day. I tell you this because you will find out soon that the only time nana is not stressed is when we take her to Burke Williams, or when she gets to spend time with you. Nothing calms nana down like her beautiful grandchildren, and absolutely nothing in this world makes her happier. 

PAPA: Your papa is mine, Auntie Liz, and your mommy’s Father. The first thing you will probably notice about your papa is that he’s crying. He does that, pretty much more than any of us. It’s ok, don’t worry. He’ll be fine. They are usually tears of joy or something. We all just laugh about it. Whenever anyone meets your papa, they always say the same thing, that he is a kind man. This sounds small, my little nephew nugget, but it’s not. Being kind is the most important thing we have as humans. It can be our biggest asset in most anything we do in life. From business, to family, to friends, to interactions with strangers, kindness goes a longer way than most people will tell you. It is usually what is remembered long after everything else is gone. Your papa taught me that. He also taught me the same thing about honesty and integrity, through his living example. Your papa is the kind of guy who would literally give the shirt off his back to someone who needed it. Your papa loves the ladies. The first time you hear him speak, it will probably be when he asks the nurse in mommy’s room if she is married and if she’d like to marry him. He’s pretty entertaining. Papa really likes to have a good time, and he is always ready for a party. He taught me all about that too, and now I’m in Alcoholics Anonymous. We love papa and his crazy ways, and papa loves you no matter what. Never forget that. 

AUNT LIZZIE (LIZ): What it do, nephew?! Your auntie Liz has been wanting to say that to you since we first heard “it’s a boy!” Lizzie is my little sister, and one of my biggest teachers in life. She hasn’t always had it easy either, but she never gives up. She has papa’s undying kindness, and her mommy’s way of captivating the whole room. She is beautiful, like seriously. Your Auntie Liz is so pretty that most of the time people can’t believe we are related. Which is something that I try to be offended about. But more importantly, tiny sprout, Aunt Lizzie is not just beautiful on the outside, she is also radiant on the inside. She is really thoughtful, and gives the most heartfelt gifts. She is compassionate, and has a quick wit. She helps her friends and family, and children love her. Again, in in this life, trust people like this. People like your Auntie Liz are very special. She will always be there for you. You can tell her anything, and she will make sure to listen and give you sound advice. Shoot, I’m 8 years older than her and she gives me advice all the time. She will also always make sure you never leave the house looking less than super cute. Her style is on point, just like her love for you. 

AUNT JACKIE: That’s me! Hello! I’ve loved you for a lot of months now, and I’m pretty sure that seeing you in person is going to make my heart do somersaults with joy. A little about me: I like to make people laugh. It’s important. I love to help people too, but sometimes I can be a little selfish. We all can. I can’t dance very well, but I’m pretty good at running long distances and writing things. I’m really tall! It has its advantages, and you will really like riding on my shoulders. As a child, I was what you might call a “wild child.” Always find what makes you wild, little one, and be that. You might notice that I’m frequently accompanied by another young woman. Nana and Papa will call her my “friend.” Actually, she is my girlfriend, Amie. Amie is loud and fun and musical and has a huge heart and she loves me. Soon you will find out that some people love girls and some people love boys. I hope that you also learn that despite who anyone loves, it is your responsibility as a human to just accept them for who they are. Some people are going to try to tell you that it’s not ok to love a certain way. Ignore these people, they are wrong. I have had a crazy life, tiny boy, and someday I’ll tell you about some of it, but only the parts that won’t make your mommy and daddy too upset. I have made mistakes, and lost myself, and been found again. Everything is a lesson. Everything. I don’t regret one moment of my crazy life, because it brought me to where I am today. I am able to cherish every moment, especially the one happening tomorrow, the one where I get to meet you. THAT is a big gift. You will see that I have a lot of tattoos on my body, 13 to be exact. I regret 12 of them, which is why I am in the process of getting them removed. Also, I’m trying to be a firefighter, so the tats have to go. I don’t want to sound pedestrian and tell you to not get tattoos, but I would highly suggest you don’t get tattoos. There. I said it. I will also love you no matter what, despite your silly tattoos. 

So there you go, angel face. Be ferocious, and loyal, and KIND. Stay true to yourself, and let others be themselves. Don’t stress out, and treat babies and animals with extra love. Never give up. Shine bright on the inside, and always try to have a good laugh. Be wild. Love, love, LOVE no matter what. 

These lessons sum up the gift that is your family. We can’t wait to be us with you. 
See you soon!