Dear son

Your mother and i are thankful to have been blessed with your presence in our lives, I thank god everyday for giving me a son to carry on the legacy of my father and his father before that.

I can only imagine watching you grow, and the kind of man you will become, I don't know the path that you will follow because this world you're born in will always find a way to challenge your faith, believes, and confidence. you will face adversity and you will fall, when that happens I want you to take a minute kneel and ask god for the strength to get back up.

I will always be here for you but i also have to let you fly so let me tell you a secrete about life, while you take your first steps hold your balance by looking where you want to go, use your arms to protect your face from the fall, and you will fall. your first day of kindergarten will be scary but that's where your first life experiences will begin, you will have many first dates but only one first date and lastly, be yourself even when life threatens to take that away from you.

Never feel like you're interrupting my day with a random phone call because i miss you too, know that you are my priority and I will always be there when you need me, i will teach you how to deal with the world but I cannot protect your young mind from the ignorance and racism you will encounter once you step out there. 

As a black man your future is as bright as a candle light that can easily be blown out with the wrong glance, I want you to feed it with your intellect, respect, compassion and confidence. Be mindful of the people around you and always extend a helping hand to those in need regardless of their skin tone.

Treat your woman like the queen she is, because we raised a king, we trust that if you chose her as your life partner that you will respect her the same way you do your mother, choose friends with the same mind set and capability to know who you are and I'm certain the light will shine brighter within the eyes of the people you touch.

Articulate your thoughts with a ball point pen, but never assume your education makes you an equal in the eyes of an ignorant society, what you and I see in the mirror is not the same reflection people see when you walk in the street. Be proud of who you are and where you come from, climb the ladder of success but never forget to extend your hand to pull the ones that held it up for you. 

Son i love you, i am writing to you the words i never got to hear but i promise to make you feel like a prince in a household of kings and Queens, if for some reason you don't find me here this letter should show you what you will mean to me.

@artisticpoet_

Painting by:  Weldon Ryan