Activity # 12 - Letter From Dad to Kari

I recently read 'Letters From Dad' (given to me by a great friend) which is an amazing book written by Greg Vaughn. This book inspired me to write letters to my family and I have decided to share with you the letter I wrote to Kari. The idea was to leave something written to him personally that he can reflect on when he gets older (and after I die)...something that lets him know he was the treasure of my life. I mean, how many of you have a written letter from your father addressed to you? I don't. I would love if someone should ask Kari that question in 5, 10, or 15 years from now, he can proudly declare...I DO!

Writing this letter was very emotional for me. While writing, I was thinking "what would I say to Kari if I know I was going to die today." Thinking or even writing about death is not the most exciting and comfortable thing to do. It was even more difficult thinking about not being around to enjoy my son, grandkids, great grandkids, great great grandkids...you get the picture.

I encourage ALL men, particularly fathers to try this. As fathers, we have an awesome responsibility to our kids and even generations to come (especially if you believe God and what He says in the Bible).

Here goes...

Dear Dakari,

The box that contained this letter is a gift to you to hold special gifts and letters from the people who love you. In the coming months and hopefully years, I want to write down in words what is in my heart and also pass along some fatherly advice in what I’m calling “Fathering Happiness”. My prayer is that these letters will be kept in this box and be of value to you someday, and that you in turn will do this for your future children. I know this can be a challenging task as the practice of letter-writing has already began to vanish in my generation. People now use Facebook, email, text messages, Twitter, Blogspot/Wordpress or YouTube to send messages. So I realize by the time your kids come around, writing may be replaced by some other form of 'lazy' communication.

I want you to know that God has been good to you and your mom and dad. He has blessed us tremendously and continuously. Always trust Him.

I want to close this letter with some fatherly advice and my blessings to you. Never give up! Especially when what you are aiming for seems impossible to achieve. I have learned from running that the minute you overcome that urge to give up, the journey becomes easier. Your focus will shift from how difficult this is to how amazing it will be to complete the challenge. Keep laughing. Son, you are by far the happiest person I have ever known. You are so radiant, so full of life and confidence and you pass on that spirit onto everyone who is lucky enough to interact with you. That is one of the things that pull people towards you. Do not let anyone steal your joy. If you haven’t yet, find a lasting source of happiness. For me, that was the fact that you and your mom survived September 15, 2006. Always Strive for Excellence. I do not know where life will take you or what profession you will be in. However, whatever you do, make sure you do it to the best of your abilities. Excel at whatever you do. Never judge or determine your own efforts based on what others around you are doing. You know your own potential and the power you possess to succeed. Let that be your motivation. Be Honest. Never feel pressured to lie or do what is wrong to please anyone or to get ahead. Being a man of integrity will take you a long way. People will trust you and you will sleep better at nights. Believe God. As mentioned earlier, God has blessed your father all the days of his life. He blessed me with your mommy and with you – the greatest blessings ever. Believe in God and you shall not be disappointed. That is daddy’s commandment to you.

My Prayer For You…

Great God who owns the universe, I put my son, Dakari Akili in your hands. He means more to you than he does me and he means everything to me. Lord, I ask that you bless my little boy, my only begotten son. Bless him with wisdom, knowledge and understand. Make whatever he does (in Your name) be a blessing unto others. Provide for him all the days of his life. May he want for nothing. Provide for him a God-fearing wife – a virtuous woman. God bless his kids, his grandkids and all the generations to follow. May there always be a generation of Saunders that seek after your face daily and do what is right in your sight. May he strive to make heaven his home. Thank you for his life and continue to watch over him and protect him from all harm and danger.

In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen

Activity #11 - Happy Birthday to You...

February 9 was Annesa's birthday. Though she is getting old, she is still v-e-r-y sexy and beautiful. She says she is happy with where her life is now. She didn't see herself at 29 (ooops probably shouldn't have done that) being married to a handsome young man (you should see the guy I rescued her from in college...she is still thanking me) and have an amazing 3+ year-old to call son.

She starts work at 6 a.m. (I'm obviously not very happy with that arrangement) so on her birthday, Kari and I decided to give her a surprise call. The highlight of the call was us singing her Happy Birthday. See video for details. Don't mind my voice. You're not the only one convinced I'm tone-deaf.

Activity #10 - 3 Mile Jog

I am busted! Kari and I just returned from a 3-mile jog that was a little more challenging than I had expected. Its not that I'm not used to running such a distance, in fact I am comfortable doing 6 miles. However, jogging with a 26 pound toddler in a jogging stroller which probably weights another 10-15 pounds can be quiet painful. Literally. My thighs are killing me and I'm walking around like I want to take a crap. Unfortunately, I have many more of these ordeals to go through. This is literally a small step leading up to a mammoth leap - Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby. Believe it or not, I do intend on running that distance with Kari in the same stroller.

I have to go now. Its like 8:15 p.m. and Kari just asked for pancakes. I'm sure you mothers reading this post are screaming "what on earth is he feeding his son at this time of the night." Lucky for me, I'm a father and so I'm allowed to get away with it.