A Letter to My Son on his Ninth Birthday
By M.J. Di Rocco My son, Love is the faith from which everything starts. Love is what I chose to tell my stories about. Love, compassion and understanding. But I believe if you choose love, then choose it wholly and know that it's not always simple or clear. I've watched you grow for nine years and every single day that passes I am amazed at your beauty and brilliance. You give me hope. Your generation gives this sad, angry planet its best hope. Now, don't feel intimated, don't feel overwhelmed. Just remember that you are loved. No matter where you are in the world love exists, even if it is in the tiniest crack in the tiniest pebble, love exists and it will grow if you nurture it. Your father is a Canadian with Italian heritage, your mother is Japanese. We all live in Japan. I know that sometimes you have questions about your identity. Sometimes you're confused. And that's natural. Believe it or not, sometimes I'm confused too. Everyone gets confused from time to time. But, I know this: Love exists in confusion. Love exists in Japan, love exists Canada, in Italy. Love exists everywhere. And for all the differences of culture between Canada and Japan parents love their children. There is nothing so natural as a parent's love for their children. If you're anything like your father (and I get a feeling you are) you need to discover things on your own--that's your way of understanding the world, discovering things your own way at your own pace. And there is nothing wrong with that. Know, though, that I will always be there watching and ready to extend a hand if the fall is too high. Explore life, my son, explore this world, but do it with love in your heart. Everything you do, do with love in your heart. And the more love you show, the more love you see. You have questions about your mixed heritage, your background. I don't have any better answers than what you will discover for yourself. I really believe that, fundamentally, everyone is the same. We all need to love and need to be loved. We all need a purpose and love provides a purpose, even if it's painful and hopeless at times. Japanese, Canadian, Italian, we are all human. We are all capable of love and we are all beautiful. And remember that in your darkest moments: WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL and don't let the hurt challenge your love. Love is powerful. Love is humanity and we are all human. MJ Di Rocco is an author and filmmaker. He has produced and directed three feature films and a dozen music videos and has previously published one book of poetry. He lives in Japan where he stumbled upon teaching and has chosen to teach kindergarten and lecture at university. The Tale of Bunny The Frog is his first children's book and is a story about self-acceptance and accepting others. He can be reached at [email protected] Read M.J.'s previous article The Story Behind The Tale of Bunny The Frog Purchase M.J.'s Book The Tale of Bunny The Frog through: Amazon Canada Click To Buy The Tale of Bunny The Frog M. J. Di Rocco wrote the introduction to The Frank StoryTelling Program For Dating Workbook
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