Sorry it has taken me a bit to write to you, but as you'll learn when you get older, time is the only thing
that you can't buy, trade or get back and the older you get the less time you have. It's no excuse, but rest assured I never forgot about you and knew that you were growing, laughing and doing everything that makes you so special every single day.Early on, I wrote a list of things you should do and remember to do when you're an adult. So, I was thinking the other day, that I should update and add to that list. Even though you have so much of your life in front of you, everyday there's something to learn from and even I learn something new everyday. So here is another list part 2...
- At least once in your life stay up all night just to watch the sunrise
- Winning is enough, no need to rub it in, have the satisfaction in the win, not the ridicule (unless you beat your dad in fantasy football, then you can rub it in)
- When in doubt, kiss her, if she doesn't kiss back then you know where you stand and can move on and not waste time, if she does, then you know where you stand and can move forward
- Learn to use both hands
- Learn to type
- Never wait til the last minute to study for a test, walking is one of the easiest things to do and it took you a few years to learn how to do that, how do you expect to learn a language, the civil war or algebra in a few hours
- It's okay to go to the movie theatre by yourself
- There was a time when cell phones didn't exist and we wrote letters to people, try it, you'll be surprised how good it feels
- You're never too old to hold your moms hand
- You can be too old to sit on your dads lap
- It's okay to brush your teeth in the shower but not okay to pee
- Look someone in the eye when you shake their hand
- Have your first beer with your dad
- Go to the casino for the first time with your godfather
- Learn to cook at least one meal from scratch
- Even better if you learned that meal from your grandmother (she makes a mean pulled pork and meat pie)
- Claim your farts
- Clips are for potato chip bags, learn to tie a regular tie and a bow tie
- And regarding the bow tie, girls love a guy in a bow tie
- Always carry some cash with you
- Own a tool box
- Know what to do with the tools in that tool box
- Develop a taste for wine
- And scotch
- Never hit your sister, I mean never
- Unless she takes your fried chicken, fried chicken isn't a shareable experience and if she does, it's more a tap than a hit
- And buffalo wings
- Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean others can't
- Her eyes are here, don't get caught down there
- Sometimes saying sorry gets you to a better place than before the problem
- It's never the end of the world
- Always keep an umbrella in your car
- And a sweatshirt
- And a bottle of water
- You're a Grammy award winning singer when you're in the shower and in the car, but don't let that think you are when you go to Karaoke
- And finally...if you don't get what you want it doesn't mean that you didn't deserve it, it may mean that what you wanted didn't deserve you
Now call your mom, dad and sister and tell them you love them.
Love, Padrino
