An Open Letter to the Boys

My Promises to You - James, Michael and Ryan

I Promise to love you everyday, even if I have issues expressing it.

To do everything possible to give you a happy childhood and set you up to be great men.

To raise you in a house whose most prominent feature is a smile.

To introduce you to great music and even some that isn’t.

To encourage you and help you accomplish anything you want to accomplish.

To shun you the second you express anything but love for the Rangers, Cowboys, Mavericks and/or Mr. Springsteen. (Length of said shunning to be determined at a later date)

To push you to think for yourself, to have opinions and to not be afraid to let those around you know what they are.

To show you how to be sensitive to others.

To not teach you colors.

To teach you left and right.

To let your mother handle the book learnin’ and I’ll handle the fun stuff.

To pounce on you like a lion on a sheep the second you disrespect your mother.

To make sure you absorb the humor and sounding board that is Grandpa Newhouse, the big heart and goofiness of both your Grandmothers and the ability to solve all issues mechanical or otherwise that is Grandpa Ptomey.

To give you every opportunity to experience the greatness of all 4 of your uncles and try to shield you from the looniness of all 4 of your aunts while making sure you appreciate how special each of them are.

My hopes for all three of you.

I Hope your sins are not my sins but your own.

I know when enough is enough.

Being with family and friends is as important to you as it is to your mother.

You have your mother’s smile and ability to hold the past dear while welcoming everyone and everybody into the fold.

You and your brothers are as close to each other as adults as your mom and aunts and uncles are.

You and your brothers are individuals as well as one.

You love what you love and want to share it with everyone.

That when all is said and done, none of us have any regrets

It is easier for ya’ll to push away from the table than it is for me and your mother.

That when I beat you at video games you lose with style so that when you beat your uncles you enjoy watching them cry like babies.

You can’t tune your mother out as well as I seem to be able to.

I can’t tune you out as well as I seem to be able to with your mother.

To shield you from the worlds issues while still making you aware that they are there so you can avoid them later on your own.

You make friends who stick with you like mine have.

You are able to find someone as special to you as your mom is to me.