Good luck, you'll need it...

Dear son-
Something I’ve been thinking quite a bit about lately are family values. I hope by the time you read this you will say you were raised with family values (even though your parents are liberals).

My list of family values includes an emphasis on reading, expressing yourself creatively, education, travel, community and family. I know your grandma and grandpa Weyrick will like it if you spend time with them.

Volunteering is also extremely important. You don’t always have to go walk dogs with your mom (although I have to tell you her biggest fear is that you won’t want to hang out with her). If you don’t walk dogs, you should spend part of your week helping others when you can (and you should always ask your mom to come along, I’m sure she will love you for including her in your life).

Respecting individuals for who they are, and not what they appear to be is also important. So many of the problems in the world are caused by intolerance and hate, it’s best just to avoid judging others when you can. I know this isn’t always easy, but I think that if you try, you will find more time to improve your own life opposed to worrying about what it is everyone else in the world is doing (especially when it doesn’t impact you personally).

Government and large corporations are not indiviuals. When it comes to government and large corporations, speak out and always question authority. These people are only looking out for themselves. You should always point this out to others and ask why your world is the way it is. For example, why do the wealthiest one percent who control 99% of the world’s wealth keep the other 99% of us at each other’s throats fighting over the scraps? And you might find this interesting: This year there were more billionaires created than ever before, while more people entered poverty than ever before. Also, why is it every time we’re on the verge of real social change we start an unnecessary war, or use religion and fake issues to divide the people?

Okay, I’ll stop there. Your mom will say I’m ranting. I’m not really a raving lunatic, I just worry about you and I want you to be raised with real family values. Not values you learn from marketers on television, but real values that will help you make your world a better place for you and those around you.

Good luck, you’ll need it.