Message in a Bottle (or "Where I Post Something I Actually Wrote Last Summer")

This past week has been sort of rough.  Definitely don't need to dwell on the details of all that occurred; suffice it to say that work was stressful, the rain was plentiful, and that my laptop wouldn't turn on.  Nearly had a heart attack over that last bit, and it did prevent me from blogging mid-week like I had planned.  But the Apple store Genius Bar is a wonderful place, and today I got my Ol' Reliable back in perfect working order (plus all cleaned and gussied-up FOR FREE; woot Apple peeps!!).

Most new parents have some sort of list of Things I Will Teach My Kid.  This runs on the backburner in your head along with Ways I Will/Will Not Be Like My Parents and I'll Never Let My Kid Do the Following. These lists are constantly evolving -- surprisingly, things like life and your child's individual personality begin to factor in.  I've been writing things down (a diary of sorts) since I was pregnant with HD.  Way back in August, my daughter was not quite 2 months old.  And I made this list:

Lessons I Hope to Teach HD

1. Respect has to be earned (yes, even by your elders).  However, you owe common courtesy to absolutely everyone (yes, even the mean and/or stupid people of the world).
2. It’s important to give back.  You don’t have to have a lot to be able to give – you can aid people with money, your time, or your talents.  No one cause is better or worse than another.
3. You need to learn to make your own fun.  Entertaining oneself encourages creativity and imagination.  This means sometimes playing by yourself, and not having only toys with all the bells and whistles.
4. Southern manners are key – this includes sir/ma’am, please/thank you, excusing oneself when leaving, holding doors open, and giving your seat to someone who needs it more than you.
5. You have to try something (foods, activities, interacting with certain people) before you say that you don’t like it.  Otherwise, you’re just not making an educated decision.  Just like Green Eggs and Ham.
6. Playing outside is an amazing and wonderful thing.  But there’s also something to be said for the fun of couch forts on a rainy day.
7. Your parents will sometimes mess up, and they’re not always right (surprise!).  But everything they do and all decisions they make are made with the purest intentions for their children.  They’re trying their hardest, and sometimes you have to cut them a break.
8. Sometimes, being scared can be really, really fun (e.g. roller coasters, making new friends, ghost stories).
9. You will eventually do things that you wish you hadn’t done.  And you may feel bad or embarrassed about having done those things.  But once it’s done, it’s done.  Instead of worrying about it, learn from it.

Being as HD has yet to walk or speak real words, I haven't tweaked this list.  I'm sure over time I'll slack on some of these items, either not enforcing these ideals once introduced or just dropping them altogether.  But for now, I'm still trying to have a bit of faith in Future Self's optimism and enthusiasm for  teaching life lessons.  Some of these things she'll find annoying.  Hopefully some will stick, and she'll appreciate them later.  I certainly learned a few of these things from my own parents and am obviously grateful enough to want to pass them on.  [Side note for a future topic -- how becoming a parent opens whole new levels of respect/awe/thankfulness/surprise/bewilderment towards your own folks.].

Now here's a video of the kid being adorable, for no reason other than that's what the people demand!