Notes from the Field: To my nephew on his birthday...

"We ate well and cheaply

and drank well and cheaply

and slept warm and well together

and loved each other"

- Ernest Hemingway

To my little cookie monster on his third birthday, 

The older I get, the more I realize that life is far too short and sweet to worry about the little things. What we take out of life truly is what we put into it. You'll figure these things out over time, but in the meantime...

Allow the world around you awaken your senses. Be open with your tastes. Try something new at least once, but don't put yourself in danger. Stay curious and seek truth. Read the classics so that you have something to compare all those new theories with. Indulge yourself, but put your values in the basic necessities. Share what you find with others, and listen to their discoveries. Do this with everyone. I've learned that when you put out enough kindness in the universe, it will come back to you and surprise you when you need it most.  

Let music move you. Revel in it when you ache and let if fill you up until there's nowhere for it to go but out of your dancing limbs. Fly down the Garden State Parkway blasting Bruce Springsteen; search for The Beatles in Liverpool. Keep your eyes open. There's so much to see in this big world of ours, but sometimes the most beautiful things are right under your nose. These are the treasures you can give yourself, experience is of the greatest of riches in life.

Everything, they say, is relative, but we all hurt the same. Feel, but understand when to let go of the feelings. Treat people well, treat yourself the same. Learn to balance these two things well and set boundaries. Know when enough is enough. Not everything was meant to be yours forever; not everyone was meant to be yours forever. On the other hand, when you know it's right, fireproof your relationship and build walls around your fortress to protect it. Cherish it.

Spend time with your family. This is not an issue now, but we're all getting older, so really spend time with them. Learn the stories of your grandparents, learn the lives of your parents. They are your living history. They are why you are here. Have hope, have grace, have faith. These are the things that will help see you through when you are up against yourself. Give to get, mind your manners, and please, sweet thing, love.

Happy birthday little one. To many many more.