This was for Creative Therapy #14 (what's one lesson you'd teach your kids) and an AMM spotlight for Tattered Angels. It is really really shiny in person. here's the journaling:

Little boy, there are so many lessons I wish I could teach you. I wish I could teach you to enjoy each and every moment of life. I wish I could teach you to treat everyone with love and respect. I wish I could teach you to always be curious. To laugh often. To have a lot of courage. To give and ask for help.

The list goes on and on.

But if I get to pick one single lesson to share with you, it will be to always have integrity. Always do what you say you will. When you say you will. Keep your word. If you respect yourself and others, people will respect you and trust you on your word. That’s the most valuable thing you have in the world, David. Your word.

There are times in your life you feel like cutting corners or doing things you might not later be proud of and I urge you to take the extra few seconds to think things through, my son. Be honest. Many things can be mended but a loss of respect is incredibly hard to recover. Your word is how others see you.

Your word is who you are. Live your life with integrity and character, my son. It is the very best advice I can ever give you.