Ode to Sam on Your 15th Birthday

February 8, 2020

My Dearest Sam,

Happy, Happy, Happy 15th Birthday!

In a few short hours, dad and I will collect you from your Freshman Retreat.  You've spent the past few days immersed in a tradition at Prep that generations have shared, and men have looked back at as transformational and connective.  We can think of no better way to begin the journey into your 15th year than connected to the Holy Spirit and your peers.

I'm not certain how to capture what an extraordinary past year this has been for you as a young man.  So much has transpired...and growth in every way has been the fruit.

You were confirmed at Saint Margaret Mary's...

 

After 9-years of education, you graduated from SMM...

You made the trek to Washington, D.C. with your class mates...

You spent the summer having fun with friends at Kitaki, while also learning the value of manual labor, work ethic, and brutal hours detasseling corn...

You received a scholarship to attend Creighton Prep High School, and have blown us out of the water with the effort and commitment you've made to honors classes and a course load you've excelled at.

You experienced your first Homecoming, Mother/Son and Father/Son masses, and learned how to tie a tie!

But if I had to pick one of the spaces that has been awe-inspiring, it was watching you take on the commitment and experience of running your own race on the Cross Country team.  Having never been a runner, it was extraordinary to witness your choice to run miles daily with your team mates, and to cheer you on at the races.  You had no desire to win a medal.  You just wanted to see how far you could go, and to cross the finish line.  You were humble, consistent, and open to the experience.  And as a fellow runner, I was never more grateful than when you cheered and ran with me as I completed a half marathon.  Knowing that you know what it feels like to push through the discomfort, I was grateful that we have a new found connection.

And meanwhile, you're deep in the throws of finishing your experience as a Boy Scout...planning your Eagle Scout project, and finalizing all of these years of camping, merit badge earning, and life skill attending.  One of my favorite memories was the final hike/camping trip you took with dad.

We have so many memories this past year of traveling and celebrating as a family...so many fights, so many words, so many I'm sorry's, so many hopes, so many silly jokes/stories/free-falls...

And in variably, because you are the oldest, and now officially, the tallest in our family, you have carried the burden of our learning.  We have placed immense expectation and hope on your ability to fully actualize your potential, to be kind to those you meet, to not subscribe to behavior that demeans another or makes them feel like they don't have a place in the group or an invite to the party.  And, we know that we ask a lot of you.

But man, Sam...you are the real deal in every way.  You are brilliant and kind and good-spirited.  You have empathy and a conscience that says I'm not going to go there, because in the end, it's just not right.  You are gracious and value humility.  You are a self-professed minimalist and can't understand why people need to have/buy so many things.  In the end, you believe that as long as we have each other, we have everything we need.

As we stare down this new 15th year, you'll become even more independent--getting your Learner's permit, taking Driver's Ed, hanging out with your buddies, starting up your lawn mowing business, traveling to camps, and in general being away from home will be more of the norm than being with us.  And, when I'm being honest, that makes me sad...but also happy for you.  You deserve every goodness that God has in store for you...today, and every day.

So, as we celebrate you--know that we could not possibly love you more...or be more proud and inspired by the young man you are.  You make us so honored to call you son.

All our love,

Mom and Dad