"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
We spoke of the human need for approval and how parents can have such an effect on the self-worth of their children. We talked of bedtime rituals and how moms and dads can make their kids feel important and ease their fears. I told them about how our folks tucked us in when we were small, prayed with us, and kissed us good-night. With that discussion as background, I gave each student the assignment to pen a bedtime blessing to the child they will bring into the world in future years. I'll let some of them speak for me. Tonight's entries are all from 11th graders in my fifth period Gospels class and all are used with permission!
the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
We spoke of the human need for approval and how parents can have such an effect on the self-worth of their children. We talked of bedtime rituals and how moms and dads can make their kids feel important and ease their fears. I told them about how our folks tucked us in when we were small, prayed with us, and kissed us good-night. With that discussion as background, I gave each student the assignment to pen a bedtime blessing to the child they will bring into the world in future years. I'll let some of them speak for me. Tonight's entries are all from 11th graders in my fifth period Gospels class and all are used with permission!
My dear child,
I hope you know that through whatever happens in life, I will always love you and be there for you. Regardless if any bad things happen, I will never stop loving you. The last thing I want is for something to stand in the way of our relationship. Never hesitate to tell me if something is bothering you or if you simply need me to be there to listen. I will respect you and your boundaries and I hope that you will learn to respect me as well. I will always want what is best for you and will be willing to help you with whatever you need. I am and will always be your number one supporter. I hope that I will become one of your role models. As your mother, I will be there to help steer you away from making poor decisions. My child, I hope you also remember that if I am not there with you in the moment to never forget to ask God for help. I am so excited for the moment I get to meet you and bring you lots of love and laughter. My admiration for you can not be fully described in words and I can't wait for the day you are born. I love you, always.
Love, Mom (Sophia G.)
Dear son, I would like to thank you for bringing unimaginable joy into my life. Not only have you grown up to be a respectful and diligent young man, I know that you will make me and your mother very proud. I promise to always protect you and keep you safe. I promise to make you better than I am and make sure to never limit your growth in life. I promise to be a strong foundation for you to lean on in times of need. Sometimes I will let you struggle and you might fail but, I will always be there to pick you back up. I will be the rock upon which you stand. I will make sure to teach you about God and to show you how He has blessed my life. I will make sure you learn your family culture and I hope that I can show you the world, preparing you for the dangers within. But even when I'm long gone, always know i am always with you. I may leave your eyes in sight but i will never leave your heart. (Jeremiah)
Dear son, I would like to thank you for bringing unimaginable joy into my life. Not only have you grown up to be a respectful and diligent young man, I know that you will make me and your mother very proud. I promise to always protect you and keep you safe. I promise to make you better than I am and make sure to never limit your growth in life. I promise to be a strong foundation for you to lean on in times of need. Sometimes I will let you struggle and you might fail but, I will always be there to pick you back up. I will be the rock upon which you stand. I will make sure to teach you about God and to show you how He has blessed my life. I will make sure you learn your family culture and I hope that I can show you the world, preparing you for the dangers within. But even when I'm long gone, always know i am always with you. I may leave your eyes in sight but i will never leave your heart. (Jeremiah)
My lovely child: Whether you are a boy or girl, I will love you like no other. I have waited so long to see you, to know you, to love you. This world is cruel at times and will try to break you, and sometimes it may do just so. But I swear as long as I live, I will never stop protecting you and picking you back up again. Your happiness means everything to me. I want you to know that no matter how lonely you feel, I have been and always will be here for you as will your father. Please understand that I'm human, and I make mistakes, but for you, I will rise above it. For you, I will be a good role model. I will do everything in my power to teach you to be a Godly person, and that everything you do should be in the name of God. I promise to love, spoil and cherish you for however long I'm on this earth. Please, I'm begging you, don't ever be insecure about how you look. I want you to know that you are absolutely beautiful, every part of you and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I want you to never stop growing in your faith in God, along with your faith in the goodness of people. I want to see you be successful in whatever you choose as your path, and know that I'm always here to support you. I love you, tiny human. Sincerely, your Momma (Trina)
Dear lovely child,
I love you with all my heart and I will always be there for you and protect you. Even when you are down, I will be your shoulder to cry on. I want to be your best friend. I want to teach you how to become a strong independent young man or young woman and to become a child of God. Even though you may not always follow my rules, I want you to always be respectful to others. I want you to know that you are amazing, beautiful or handsome, funny, strong, and smarter than you think. I am always in your corner when you need me. I always want to see you happy and enjoy your childhood and your life as much as possible. You will always have someone to talk to and someone to play with. We will never have a dull moment. I will always love you and care for you. I will support you in all sports and any decisions you make. Just know that I am here for you every step of the way.
Love you more than anything,
Mom (Gabrielle)
To my mini me,
I just want you to know that Mommy will always love you. I know that you will be a shining light for this world. No bush will be able to hide the light you shine so brightly. And I promise to give you all the tools to shine as bright as you can. Your future is exceedingly promising and I cannot wait to see your beautiful face. When I look at you, I see your hopes and dreams and I will do my best to help you fulfill them. Your innocence and purity twinkles in your eyes and I cannot wait to see what the world has in store for you. Even though this world can be scary, you are more than strong enough to take it on and I just know you are going to do great things. I will always be your number one fan and your favorite supporter and I want you to know that I will be by your side every step of the way. I will help you when you fall down and cheer for you when you get up. May God always be with you and bless you and your future. Don’t lose sight of Him or who He created you to be. You are so special, never forget that we love you so so much <3.
Love, Mommy (Piper)
Hello, son. I am writing this to you in case that someday I may not be able to tell you in person. When you start getting older, always treat your mother with respect no matter what. Make good grades in school, find good friends that will always be there for you, and always try to expand your knowledge.I hope that you can become a better version of me and your mom; a version of us without flaws so that you can elevate and bring respect to our family name. All I ask of you is that you have fun with life, and don't do anything stupid like drugs or murder or anything of that sort. Last, but not least, follow God's path. God already has a set determined path read for you so do good for the Lord and follow His word. May the Lord grant you a happy life. The world is your oyster! You are the main character of your own story so make it a good one.
Dad (Fernando)
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
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