To Our Children:  You make us proud every day of our lives.  You always have. Andrew and Mitchell, you have grown into remarkable adults, with a strong sense of responsibility, a solid work ethic, loyalty to your friends, a soft spot for dogs, and love of family. You are intelligent and industrious, resilient and tenacious, generous and compassionate.  Most of all you are kind (we’ll keep that a secret, though, for you Mitchell. We know you have a reputation to uphold.)

We did a lot of things the wrong way as parents.  We had no idea what we were doing, and we screwed up a lot and yet here you are, standing by our side, supporting us at every turn even when you are unsure of the direction we’re going and how you feel about it.  You love us and support us unconditionally.

Regina, thank you for accepting a spot in what can be a truly challenging family. You and Antony are so dear to us.  You bring such joy and love to Mitchell’s life, and to ours.  We see the love in Mitchell’s eyes when he looks at you.  Please know our hearts, too, are full of love for you and Anthony.

Torrie, you and Andrew make quite the presence in a room.  You bring a beautiful, warm, peaceful soul into our family.  You have the spirit of an artist, a welcome breath of fresh air.

Kids, humor us for a minute and allow us to give you a couple pieces of advice.

• Spend more time together, more than you think is possible. Time is the one thing you will never get back and the one thing you will never regret having invested in.
• Talk all the time, about everything. It’s impossible to grow together unless you know what is in each other’s heart and mind. Talk about it, with a clear mind, paying attention to every word.
• Money isn’t everything. If you ever must make a choice between family and a dollar, choose family. You’ll be rewarded again and again by choosing love of family over love of money.
• Be patient. Whatever it is, it will come in time.
• Spend more time together. This one is worth repeating.

Kids, listen to us now.  You are our legacy. Not our college degrees or military service. Not our careers or our gardens or the house we live.  It’s you. You are what we are most proud of and to whom we are most grateful.

In love and respect, your parents……….