I’m honored to be featured this week over at Char’s blog, Trekking Thru the Week.

Dear Son,

I immediately felt the fiercest love for you from the moment I knew you were real. Countless hours were spent imagining the curve of your face and what hue of brown or blue your eyes would be.

From the very beginning, my greatest hope for you included safety and happiness. However, with wisdom came the understanding that I can not always keep you happy and safe.

You, my beloved son, will become well acquainted with sadness and disappointment in your life. Because of this truth, my hopes and prayers are a bit different than they used to be…

An Open Letter to My Three Boys…

A mother’s longings for her son:

Happiness should never be your ultimate goal

Son, unfortunately, our world teaches you that your greatest goal in life should be attaining and keeping your happiness.

And, take it from your mama, none of us are guaranteed constant happiness in this life. Further, entertaining, attaining, and keeping this fickle emotion should never be our greatest goal. Something or someone that makes you happy in a moment can turnabout and make you miserable a moment later.

True joy is something that must enter your heart and sustain you when the simple, elusive emotion of happiness is nowhere to be found.

Son, the truth is, that often our happiness will come at the expense of someone else’s. In addition, what we do to attain our own happiness in a moment can cost quite a fortune for another.

Remember this, my sweet young man, and count the cost.