The Christmas Letter

The most important ingredient ever in the education of our child- LOVE

My Love mentor, Hiromi Sensei said that children who do not do well in their studies, often do so because they do not receive love in the way that they want from their parents.

Matter of fact is, most kids who go wild, turn delinquent do so because of a lack of love in the way they want it as well.

But as asians, we tend to keep things to ourselves and keep the love to ourself... especially when our child grows older. But it is not difficult to show your love at all!

I received this in my mailbox today and it really warmed my heart. Enjoy!

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Last Christmas I wanted to give our children something a little more meaningful than plastic swords, light sabers, and roller blades. So I decided to write each of them a heartfelt letter expressing my love for them. In the letter I told them how proud I was of them and that I loved them simply for who they were. I also listed some of their talents and strengths and thanked them for everything they do to make our family a success. Before they were allowed to open their one Christmas Eve present, I told them that I had a special gift for them and passed out the letters. The children who were old enough to read went ahead and read their letters, while my husband and I read the letters to the younger children. They all gave a sincere thanks and then were ready to move on to opening presents.

However, my nine year old son announced, "Wait, I'm not finished reading mine yet!" We all waited as he finished. Tears began to stream down his face. Then he hopped off the couch, walked over to me and gave me the longest, warmest hug I think I've ever received from him!

I was so moved that my fun-loving, basketball, soccer-playing son was so touched by these simple words of love. This was the boy that had knocked over a bucket of bright blue paint all over light tan carpet when his dad was painting his room. He was the one who made a two foot hole in our wall while mattress surfing down our stairs. He is the one who stood on a cupboard door to reach something up high and not only broke it right off its hinges, but also cracked the cupboard door in half (in not one, but two houses!)

This is the same boy who wore the same dirty socks for five days in a row before we noticed an awful smell coming from his feet. He was the one who managed to wear out several pairs of jeans and a pair of shoes in just one month and always came home from school with a dirty shirt.

This was also the boy who took care of his two year old sister every night when she asked for a drink of water or wanted a story. He was the one who brought her to mom and dad if she got scared in the night and fixed her a bowl of cereal every morning.

This was the boy who tenaciously practiced his multiplication test over and over until he could fill out all 144 squares in less than three minutes. He is the one who always unloaded his dishwasher without being asked. This was the boy who stood in my arms and cried on Christmas Eve.

Later on that night he went upstairs to his room and re-read the letter, again becoming teary-eyed. When his sister asked him if he was okay, he simply said, "My letter -- it's...happy!" As I went to kiss him good-night I saw him re-reading the letter one last time before his eyes closed in sleep.

We all enjoyed opening our gifts the next morning, but the best gift I received was a sincere warm hug of thanks from a teary-eyed nine-year old boy with a dimple in his cheek, perpetual holes in his jeans, and smelly socks!

--Wendy Jensen--