My dear son, you are now 7 years old, and what a big boy you are! You are so sensitive, and so intelligent, you blow me away! The questions you ask make me stop and think.  I am so proud of you! I love you more than words could say!

Last week you told me “Mom I love you so much, I’ll go visit you every Saturdays when you are old”!

Adults will laugh and think you are adorable. But mama knows… mama knows this is what your father, Nicolas, showed you. You both go see Grandma Poteet every Saturdays. In your eyes, this is the greatest form of love! And baby I am so proud of you for seeing this! And I love and respect your father even more for teaching you this… He doesn’t even realize what you see, he is such a great man, taking care of his own mother, always! Words cannot describe how proud and how much I love you both!

Sometimes we act a certain way, and without background information, it can be hard to explain our behaviors.

Your father was the baby, the jewel of his mom, and he treats her as such. It’s no wonder I married him (let’s forget the divorce) Your father is amazing! Never forget that!

This week, you were watching a movie, and told me “Mama, come cuddle” My immediate answer was “I have too much work”… but as soon as the words left my lips, I regretted them. I left my computer and cuddled with you! You are my priority! Rockwell, you are the reason for my whole existence! I am sorry I ever used work as an excuse! And I will never use it again! I swear!

That being said, I want to explain why I said work was so important, and why I work so much. You are a child now, I don’t want you to hear it now. But when you are an adult, if you ever remember this, I want you to understand.

See, my mother, your mamie, was poor, very poor. She never went to school. She was on welfare at 18 and pretty much her whole life. She worked a few odd jobs when I was a teenager. But that’s it. She was so poor that when she couldn’t pay rent or her car, she was so ashamed, that instead of facing the bank like an adult should….. she made me call. At 14-15, your own mother was calling banks, to make excuses for your grandmother.

It marked me son. I knew I would NEVER be poor. It took time, because I was paying everything for myself at 14-15… but know this… I finished high school, not just “finished”. I was a top student. A nerd. I went on to work full time to pay for everything and still go to school, finish college, and eventually get my BA from McGill University. I attended my last classes while you were still in my belly. And I got my BA when you were 2 months old.

Don’t get me started on your father. Your father, the artist, lives from his Art. How rare is that? And not just a little. He has a Master’s degree and is the head of a whole school, he teaches at the NAD Center. He is a force to reckon with.

This is your legacy Rockwell!

Rockwell, you are now 7 years old and I keep telling you that, in life, if you want to be someone, if you want to get ahead, you need to study for a loooong time. Right now you agree, you tell me you’ll have diplomas, a great career, money and a big house. And maybe later I’ll get on you nerves. But I know you will succeed, not just financially. Rockwell Poteet, you are destined to be a great man! You will be the most successful of any Poteets! I have no doubts.

But now, this is MY promise to you. I work a lot. I work more than any person I know. And I will keep working till I die, so I can give YOU all the tools I didn’t have, all the tools you deserve to achieve your full potential.

BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT WORK WILL NEVER TAKE ONE SECOND AWAY FROM OUR TIME TOGETHER! I promise you this!

I love you so much my son! My dear son! My job, as your mother (and the greatest job I will ever have) is now to be your coach and cheerleader.

Team Poteet! All the way!

Love, Mama
xxxx