Dear Kids,

Never forget who you belong to.

And that's not me -- I'm talking about you.

You are not my property.

As much I plan to claim you to the moon and back,
you are yours.

You are your dreams.

Your aspirations.

Your hopes.

Your wishes.

Your plans.

Not mine.

Not anyone's.

Not a boyfriend's or a girlfriend's.

Not your social circle friends'.

Not any of your future bosses'.

That moon I referenced,

you can lasso it for your dang self.

You never need someone else to capture it for you.

Those dreams you have,

can become your reality.

You just need to put in the work.

Your wishes?

I'd grant them if I could—all of them, without restriction or condition.

But I can't.

And that's a good thing.

Because you're your own wish-granter.

If you just

aim high,

stay focused,

trust the process and your journey

and never give up if ever a single shot you take is a miss.

Dear Kids,

I can't stress this enough:

You are forever in charge of your own destiny, legacy, and lifestyle.

And I am forever in charge of supporting the heck out of you.

When parents control their kids, kids grow into adults who far too easily give up control.

When parents lovingly guide, support, and build up their kids, kids grow into adults who believe in themselves and all they want for their life, and they will fight like hell against anyone's control that stifles that.