Given to Fly

Dear Son,

I know this year has been filled with ups and downs. You weren't happy when I decided to leave what was familiar to all of us to pursue a new opportunity. But you went along with it because you trusted me. You trusted that I was making the right decision for me and for our entire family. I appreciate that, more than you will ever know.

While you are now extremely happy with our new school home, I know you have been working very hard to stay on top of your studies. I know that the workload has been challenging. I know that the content is pushing you out of your comfort zone. But I also know that you are learning more than I ever thought possible and that YOU ever thought possible. You are very proud of what you are learning, and that makes me happy.

Yesterday was a tough day, though, as you tried to memorize another poem. You have memorized so many incredible poems for your Language Arts teacher this year. You probably know more about poetry than I do. But for some reason, you were struggling with the memorization of your most recent poem. I don't know what happened. I don't know why you shut down. Maybe you had a lot on your mind. Maybe you had too many assignments to juggle. Maybe we are just so close to winter break that you can't stop thinking about Christmas. Whatever the reason, you shut down yesterday. You told me, "I can't do this."

Saying, "I can't," caused you to shut down. It caused you to not believe in yourself. Those awful words - that horrible negativity - caused you to not memorize that poem.

Please remember this, "can't" is not in our vocabulary. You do not let defeat get the better of you. When you say that you can't do something, your mind starts to believe it and your body does too. Then, you just shut down, and that "can't" becomes a reality. 

I don't ever want you to say the word "can't" again. You CAN DO everything and anything that you put your mind to. 

Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb until he finally invented it.

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." Wow, did Walt Disney show him!

Dr. Seuss was rejected by 27 publishers before publishing his first book. 

Had these three amazing people told themselves that they could not do something, we would not have the light bulb or Disney World or The Cat in the Hat today. 

I talked to you about all of this yesterday, and I hope and pray that you will always remember it.

I hope that you will also remember that after our chat, you told yourself, in front of me, that you COULD memorize the poem. Ten minutes later, you came back to me, and you recited the poem flawlessly. 

Eliminate the "can't." You have so much "can" ahead of you. 

And I cannot wait to see what you do with it.

"He could've tuned in tuned in
But he tuned out
A bad time nothing could save him.

A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw.
Delivered him wings "Hey look at me now."
Arms wide open with the sea as his floor.
Oh power oh

He's flying."

-Pearl Jam