I Can Do It

Hi Salem,

It's cold in this garage. The fall always feels mysterious to me, and today was especially surreal for some reason. I was driving home from dropping you off at your grandparents' house when I decided to pull over and listen to some music while staring at the colorful leaves. It was a song called Roads by Portishead. Maybe you can hunt it down someday. That song is something else. 

I was thinking of you while I was driving the long way home. A few nights ago we were laying in your bed reading an Eric Carle book that repeatedly asked the question, "can you do it?" You learned quickly how to shout back "I can do it!", and ever since then you have been carrying yourself a little differently. You help me make smoothies and French toast every morning, but now you're starting to be able to do most of it on your own with little help. You name the missing ingredients and give me instructions to assist you. 

By the time you are reading this it won't seem like something huge to you. You'll be big and doing all kinds of big kid things. But, from your dad's perspective this was really special to see you carry yourself so proudly with independence. This world is yours, my sweet little boy, and all I can promise from myself is to try my hardest to show you love and patience. Those are the only things you need to begin any journey, I hope you remember that. If you love doing something enough, it will eventually reward you for your patience and dedication. You can do it, of course you can do it!

Love,

Dad

Guitars and Treasure Maps

Hey Salem,

You're away at the moment and I am starting to miss you a bit. I always miss you when you're gone, but sometimes it helps to dream up all of the things we can do together someday. Right now you are on a wild learning streak, and it seems like every single day you are coming up with new words. You can count to ten quickly, and I hear it when you're excitedly counting the wheels on the trucks of your cool new blanket on your cool new bed. I love that bed and I love watching the lights on the ceiling from your little projector. Sometimes we just make shadows with the flashlight from my phone and tell stories about animals we haven't seen yet.

So, today has me thinking about something creative and I'm sure this is just an overflow of the sudden rush of musical inspiration I have been feeling lately. It's strange how music and art come in waves to me. Admittedly, I was ignoring those inspiring calls of creativity, but it's all coming back to me. I was on fire today. I want to share that fire with you, and I am always wondering to myself how to do that while respecting your own personal interests. You see Salem, I'll love and support you no matter what you are into. I know what I'm into and I know what inspires me, but I always am very aware that everybody feels inspiration in different ways. Maybe you're a sports guy, or a writer, or maybe something I haven't ever dreamed of. Whatever it is, I will be here for you and try my best to help you grow in your creative pursuits. 

Sometimes we feel no creativity at all, and it is up to us to be mindful that this is always temporary. This is our time for observation and learning. It took me a long time to understand that, so be patient with yourself. 

Gosh, I wonder what you'll be like in the coming years. I will never rush the time, but I have always been comfortable with its passing. We're just temporary things, just like our creativity. Yet, life is an artform and we are given some very beautiful colors to work with. Maybe you'll think stuff like that is silly to say. Maybe you'll think dad is lame. I'm okay with that. Dads are lame. But dads are only dads because of their children and I am so deeply happy with nothing else in this world quite like I am being your dad. 

Go out there and get yours from this world. I mean, it's not your time yet. You're so young still, but you have that spark of adventure in your eyes. I can see it every time you get that look on your face before running off when we are playing at the park. But, you're also so loving, and I can see that clearly when you show endless kindness to everybody you meet. My God that makes me so proud of you, Salem. I love everything you're becoming.

I admire you dude,

Dad

Carpathia Park

Hi Salem,

It's a gorgeous day. The leaves on the trees are showing their true colors, and right on time. You're currently at the playground by my old elementary school spending time with Grandma, and it suddenly makes me excited just writing those words. That place brings back a lot of memories, so pardon me while I indulge in some nostalgia.

When I was growing up, that place used to have a different playground. It was in the same spot but it was made of aging wood that kind made it look like a heavily-weathered fortress. My friends and I used to run our imaginations wild near that fortress pretending that we were various characters from video games. We had imaginary swords and powerful fireballs that protected us from all kinds of bad guys. Our bikes were like airships, dragons, or other legendary vehicles that could carry you from town to town and across the seas through a far-off land of fantasies. We used to come up with names for our characters and score their hit points, magic and other stats that we would use to battle enormous and terrifying monsters as final bosses. 

It makes me smile so happily to think of you swinging on the swings at that playground like Grandma described over the phone. Will you see anything like that in your mind's eye when you remember growing up? Will you even remember this day? Probably not in the detail your grandmother will, but I'm sure that somewhere in there you will know that the entire world is a lot more fun with a vivid imagination. I mean, that's just my perspective of it, and I'm totally aware that others don't see the world with the same desire to dabble in fantasy. I'm just happy that you're there right now, and I can't wait to see you when you come home. 

Love,

Dad