Dear Aaron,
I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of the amazing Christian man you are becoming. You are 14 years old today. You are taller than me by several inches (yes, I've finally admitted it). You've got a great sense of humor, you're fun to be around, and you are so happy. You have always made smart, responsible choices and I hope that continues with you throughout your life. I've made a list of little pieces of advice for you as you enter your 14th year of life. So, here goes..
- Surround yourself with people who build you up, not people who tear you down.
- Guard your heart. Seriously, your heart is precious.
- Set your boundaries and stick to them. This will help you not give in to peer pressure.
- Be SO SO SO careful who you date. If it's not someone you would consider marrying one day, don't date her.
- Respect girls. Open her door. Let her go in before you. Give her your coat if she's cold. Tell her she looks nice.
- The internet can be a dangerous place. Don't allow yourself to look at photos or videos that you wouldn't look at if God were in the room with you. Because He is.
- Pray everyday, several times a day. Don't ever forget how much you need God.
- Make good grades. College costs a lot of money without scholarships.
- Never be afraid to say no. It's better to be a wimp than dead.
- When you fall on your face, get back up and keep moving.
- Pause before you speak, this will prevent a lot of problems.
- Talk to me or dad about what's on your mind. We are your biggest fans and care deeply about everything that goes on with you.
- Selfies are for faces.
There are at least 100 more pieces of advice I want to give you, but I'm not even sure you're still reading at this point, so I'll stop it at that. You're welcome.
Here are a few pictures of you from the past year. It is a pleasure to watch you grow.
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At Grandma and Poppy Loe's house with Luke, Kaulyn, and Austin |
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You and Parker Rowe at trap shoot practice |
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Riding at Bear Creek...You drove me across water I was afraid to drive in by myself. |
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Snow skiing at Wolf Creek |
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Boom |
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You, Austin, and Grandma |
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On a mission trip in Tennessee, working in the kitchen |
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Dalton Burns, you, and Kholeton Cox |
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Billy, you, CJ, Kholeton, and Tyler |
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You and dad |
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Photobombing my sunset pic at the beach |
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Aaron Neil... |
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And this. Best photo of the year. So proud of you for making the biggest decision of your life this year. |
I love you,
Mom