August 3, 2022
Happy 13th, Jack!
You seem to be coming into your own by finding the things you love and the people you enjoy. You are confidently embracing who you’re becoming and that’s awesome to see. You don’t seem easily rattled by drama that can happen in middle school. Even when friends change, you still found a way to gravitate toward those you respect and who share your love of being active outdoors.
Running is becoming central, which connects you in unique ways to both of us. Most people think of dad as the runner, but mom has the experience of school cross country and track. Between the two of us, you get way more advice and pressure to run than you probably need. You legitimately beat dad in a 5k trail race. That may have been your way of telling him to be quiet. What has been most impressive is your dedication to both cross country and track seasons even though 6th graders were allowed to run in only a couple meets. You have already won the hearts of your coaches and are a vital member of the team that you weren’t even officially on. You channel your drive and focus in the sport. We are excited for you to have the chance to be a true member of the team and to fully participate in meets.
Academically, you take school seriously (hello exam study guides!) and are thriving. Rather than being intimidated by the work load in sixth grade, you seemed to rise to the occasion and appreciate the challenge and increased expectations. It also helped that the hardest course is History and that is your favorite. It’s still hard to believe you memorized the entire Declaration of Independence. You have taken to reading books about WWII and US military. Greek Mythology was another course you enjoyed in school. You enjoy learning and discussing interesting facts.
2022 has been filled with lots of adventures that you’ve loved. You skied in WV, which has really stirred a desire for you to do real skiing out west. When we went to DC for spring break, it was a highlight of ours waking up and running the Mall with you as well as seeing the history come alive for you. Hiking and playing in Cashiers (including doing whatever it took to win the rainy fishing tournament) were fun. You loved returning to Deerfoot and locking in on the badges and awards. Your chiefs remarked on your strong leadership skills. Lastly, the epic PNW trip had you in your element hiking, exploring and being outdoors. No doubt you will one day summit Mt. Rainier.
Our prayer for you in these early teen years is that you will feel well-connected in relationships, have greater patience in challenges and lean on the Lord instead of your own strength, grow in grace toward yourself, enjoy lots of laughter, continue to be a thoughtful helper, and grow and develop as God sees fit.
We are so thankful for you.
Love,
Mom and Dad
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Dear Thomas,
You’re officially a teenager! You bring a lot of energy to our house. Friends and sports bring you endless joy. You’ll even ask us to stop the car so you can run after a friend and you sprint to the door any time the doorbell rings. Your hours spent at the pool have justified the pool membership for the entire family. Others (EXCEPT your brothers around whom you are endlessly competitive) enjoy being around you as much as you do them.
You’re easygoing in general. Whether it is being part of the kick team, or running a 5k, or going early for QB practice, or cleaning the mess off of the mirror you will do what is asked of you. You have a good heart and want to be a team player.
We have had a lot of fun as a family this year, especially with trips to DC and the Pacific Northwest. Though you “hate” hiking because it doesn’t have a “point” or something to win, you loved climbing on Mt. Rainier and getting to slide down in the snow. You ultimately found a way to make a game out of it. We also have fond memories of you and James playing in the cold Oregon ocean for hours.
You have rocked middle school so far. There was the making weight for football saga that involved a lot of Gatorade and lots of pit stops. Glad that is behind us. We admire your perseverance in your first tackle season and hope that you continue to enjoy growing as a player and being a part of a dynamic team. Track seemed to be enjoyable for you even though it didn’t involve a ball. Again, the social and team aspect seems to be the main draw for you.
We appreciate how seriously you have taken your academics. You take initiative, you stay on top of the work, and you find a way to get it done efficiently and well to free you up to do the things you love like sports and hanging with friends. We admire your ability to balance school, social, and sports so well.
This summer has not only involved traveling and enjoying Dad’s sabbatical, but also you returned to Deerfoot. Camp seems to be the perfect combination of an abundance of boys to socialize with combined with the challenges of the wilderness program. We love that you get this time to be away from the familiar and find a way to thrive.
We are an intense family. We expect a lot and you are largely compliant, respectful, and obedient. When we are tired (every day), we know we give off the vibe that your energy and spunk are exhausting. Yet, we know that God has a distinct plan for you in our family (and in your adult life to come) to lighten the mood, to keep us laughing, and to bring interesting people into our lives. Though we don’t often admit it, your energy and passion are a vital piece of our family puzzle.
We pray for you to continue to grow in your knowledge of and passion for Christ. And we frequently pray for God’s wisdom to raise you into the man He has designed you to be. You are so special to Him and to us.
With much love,
Mom and Dad
P.S. So thankful for Google so we could just copy this off the internet and add your name.
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James,
Happy 13th! You’ve officially done it; you’ve managed to grow taller and bigger than mom. Surely as a teenager that’s awesome to you, but as parents it’s a bit intimidating and hard to believe. You do sorta function like a man—eat like a man and talk like a man—but then your manners and free expression of bodily functions remind us you’re still a middle schooler. You speak before you think. This can get you in trouble when you say things to us you should probably walk back, but it also causes you to be ridiculously funny because of the things you come up with unfiltered. Even just your analysis of the crosswalk abiding deer as “a legend” is super funny. You’ve come to use humor to make sure we are paying attention to you.
Though you steal the attention with your jokes, you are very understated in your academics. You are super smart, but you mask it and make us think you don’t care about school. Your teachers see your hard work and quick learning and frequently report you are a joy to have in class. We are proud of how you adjusted to the challenges of middle school and got better at managing your stuff and your homework. We will never know if your leaving tuna in your locker over a long weekend was a prank or a true act of forgetfulness. But, the smell you left behind was legendary.
Similar to school, in sports you are humble and hard working. In football you don’t necessarily play the positions that get all the glory like QB or WR, but your coaches see how reliable and good you are at the line positions that are the backbone of the team. It says a lot that you continue to work hard and commit even when the team is developing and winning is hard to come by.
You are a very thoughtful and considerate friend. You choose friends not just because they are similar to you, but because of their character and heart. You can be silly and competitive with them, but you also genuinely care. You have found a good rhythm of when you want to be with friends and when you just want to chill and relax.
With that balance came your desire to attend youth group with your school friends. You sincerely wanted the faith part and not simply the social part and that says a lot about you. We love how you pay attention in church and how the sermons seem to click for you. Keep nurturing this part of your life and you will see awesome things bloom.
We cherish the memories of this past year—skiing in WV, spring break in DC, playtime in Cashiers, golfing with grandparents, Deerfoot, and the epic PNW trip. What a year!
As we look ahead to these teen years, we know you can feel so grown up and still like a kid at the same time. We are here for you to walk through these seasons. We have always known you have a tender heart and even as you grow up quickly, we know you care deeply for us just as we do for you. Our family is better because you’re in it. Through all the noise and clutter and stress of daily life we want you to hear two things clearly and ask that you would store these words in your heart for the moments when you doubt them – know this:
From Mom – “I love you and your precious heart. I admire the young man you are becoming.”
From Dad – “I am proud of you, not because of what you have done, but because of who you are. You are a great son.”
With love,
Mom and Dad
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