To Ben, My Almost Kindergartener

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6: 24-26

 

Dear Ben-

In a couple of weeks, you will be going to kindergarten.  I’m sure that it will be harder on mommy than it will be on you because even as I’m typing this, I’m getting tears in my eyes.  Why, you ask?  It’s truly hard for you to understand until you become a parent.  It’s so true.  I love you so much!  It’s a love that is so big that I can’t even begin to describe it to you.  It’s a love that is so pure that it can only come from God Himself.  It’s a love that is so real that I know it will never leave…it will only grow as you grow. 

I waited for nearly 5 years to be a mom, so when you finally came along, I was in awe of you, and I still am.  You were my precious miracle, and you still are, and so I have to admit that it will be hard to let you go. 

Even though I would love to have my little miracle stay at home with me and never go out into this big and sometimes scary world, I know that I have to trust that God will protect you because He loves you even more than I do.  But it’s so hard!  I want to be there for your every need.  I want to be a part of everything you do and see and learn.  I want to get your snacks for you and eat lunch with you and answer your questions for you and play silly games with you and laugh with you and go to the park with you.  I want to be near you all the time!

I want to protect you like when you were a baby.  I don't want you to get hurt.  I don't want you to be bullied or teased or ignored.  I don't want others to treat you unkindly or break your spirit.  I don't want your precious love for nature or your sensitive heart be made fun of.  I don't want you to learn bad habits or mean behaviors.  I don't want you to be exposed to the evil that's in this world.  I want you to stay inside our little protective bubble here at home.  (Ok, Here come the tears!)

Here's the truth:  I can't even begin to protect you from those painful and hurtful moments in life.  I wish I could, but it's impossible.  Sadly, those things are just a part of life...for all of us.  So here is where my prayers and my faith have to come in.  I have to trust God to protect your spirit and give you guidance and wisdom to make good choices.  I have to trust that God will give me wisdom to know how to teach you, guide you and love you as a parent as you do go through those difficult times.  I have to trust that God will use your experiences to build your character so He can use you in His Kingdom.  I have to trust that you are God’s Light, and He’s going to use you to shine His love on others.  And as much as you’ve blessed our family, He’s going to use you to bless everyone you meet especially your classmates and your teachers.  Let your Light shine, my little man!

 

 

Being at home with you over these six years has been a huge blessing to me.  I’ve seen you learn and grow so much.  In the blink of an eye, you’ve changed from a tiny infant into this amazing, loving, problem-solving, creative and inquisitive little boy.  I know that as you go to Kindergarten, I will watch you learn and grow even more.  I will learn to treasure the time I do have with you.  I will love look forward to seeing your smiling face when I pick you up from school.  I will value our time together in the afternoons and evenings and weekends.  I will appreciate you even more than I already do! 

As a kindergartener, you will experience new things.  You will make your own choices.   You will find out more about who you are and who God created you to be.  As you learn your ABCs in your new classroom, I want you to always remember the ABCs you've learned at home!

I love you, Ben!

Love,
Mommy

A	Attitude	Always have a good attitude.  Smile.
B	Brave	Be brave and be willing to try new things.
C	Caring	Be caring toward others.  Don’t leave someone out.  Try to include others.
D	Determination	Show determination by not giving up too easily.  Learning can be hard sometimes, but don’t get frustrated.  Keep trying!
E	Empathetic	Be empathetic towards others.  Try to be understanding towards their feelings.
F	Forgiving	Everyone makes mistakes.  Be forgiving towards yourself and towards others.
G	Giving	Share.  Give others a turn.
H	Honesty	Don’t lie.  Always tell the truth even if you have consequences.
I	Integrity	Have integrity.  Do the right thing even when no one is watching.
J	Joy	Find joy!  Be happy and have fun.  Always make the best out of your circumstances.
K	Kindness	Be kind with your words and with your actions.
L	Loving	Be loving.  Remember the Golden Rule:  Do to others what you would want them to do to you.
M	Manners	Use your manners.  Always say “Please” and “Thank you”.
N	Nice	Be nice.  And remember what Grandma says, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
O	Opinion	Don’t be afraid to share your opinion.  Don’t just follow the crowd.  Respect that others’ opinions may be different than yours.
P	Patience	Be patient.  When you ask for something…wait patiently.  When you need something…wait patiently.
Q	Quiet	Be quiet.  Take time to listen to others.
R	Respect	Show respect to others.  Respect their differences.  Show respect to yourself.  Respect your differences.
S	Self-Control	Have self-control.  Don’t just do something because someone else is doing it.  Follow directions.  Do what you’re supposed to be doing.
T	Thoughtful	Be thoughtful.  Look around and help get done what needs to be done without being asked.
U	Understanding	Be understanding.  Know that not everything is going to go how you want it to go.  And not everyone is going to do what you want them to do.
V	Very Helpful	Be helpful.  Help clean up.  Help someone pick up something they dropped.  Open doors.
W	Wonder	Be full of wonder.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
X	X-tra Encouraging	Be encouraging.  Uplift others.  Help them see the good in themselves.
Y	Your Choices	Make good choices.  You will be presented with opportunities to make good choices and bad choices.  Sometimes making the right choice isn’t always the easy choice.  Make the right choice anyway!
Z	Zest for Learning	Have the desire to learn.  The world is a fascinating place.  Seek knowledge.  And be humble.  There is always someone that knows more than you do.  Be open and willing to learn from them.

Remembering your ABCs is great for all of us!  To get a printable copy of "Remember Your ABCs go to:  http://www.4realmoms.com/resources.html