A letter written Spring 2011

My dear, sweet child,
They said in high school, "You're almost done! You’re almost out of here!" But then you went to college.
They said in college, "It'll all pay off in the end" Then you had to enter the real world.
You looked for a job and they said, "For every door that’s closed, another opens."
You dated him for 3 years and he said, "I don’t think it'll work out anymore" Then you still had to function the next day.
You got a job and you came home exhausted every night and they said, "Just think about that nice paycheck.”
You finally found the right man and he said, "Will you marry me?" Then the real stress began.
When you planned your wedding and were ready to pull out your hair they said, "Just think of how beautiful it'll all be."
You still came home from work exhausted, and you spent all your waking hours cleaning up poop, chasing chubby little legs, cooking, cleaning, and wiping boogers and all they could say was, "But you know you love them." Then you watched them grow up.
You got fired from your job and you didn’t know how you’d provide for your family and they said, "Just start your own business" Then you laughed in their face.
You finally learned the meaning of everything your parents taught you as you sent them off in to the sunset, going to college to start their own stressful life and you said, "Geez, how am I going to pay for all this?"
You’ve come back to that age again, of wiping boogers, chasing chubby legs and cleaning poop. As you sit back and watch as your children do it all the same that you did, only maybe a little better, you’ll say, "Yes. It’s all worth it."
I look down at you and smile at your life. Sure there were tough times when you wanted to give up, but you did well, and I can't wait to show you your new home.
                                          -Dad