Fourteen

Dear Weston,

Somehow your fourteenth birthday has managed to sneak up on us. It kind if caught me off guard, to tell you the truth, and I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around it. What a privilege it is to have known you these fourteen years! You are smart and sweet and funny and charming and thoughtful and resourceful. You are a good friend, an excellent leader, a shrewd investor, and a delightful person. You have made my life fuller and richer in so many ways, and I'm thankful I get to be your mom!

You have continued to work hard on your Scouting journey throughout this last year. You have attended many camps, held several leadership positions, and are just on the cusp of completing your Eagle Scout rank. Some parts of this journey have not been easy, but you have learned some important lessons and have carried on with your integrity in tact. You should be proud of all you have accomplished.

Your new loves this year have been speech and debate, and you have thrown yourself into them with passion. You competed and performed well in one tournament in the spring, which kind of gave you the bug. And you have just finished the first tournament of the new season, with another trophy for your efforts. You have a real talent for speaking, persuading, entertaining, and forming reasonable arguments, and I hope you will continue to develop these talents and use them for good in the world.

You have had a lot of great opportunities this year, which you have taken advantage of. You invested in the stock market and are quietly letting your wealth grow in the background; you won first place in a state PSIA speech contest; you spent a week crewing a boat in the Florida Keys; you traveled to Washington DC by yourself to visit Dad and navigated the city for a couple of days on your own; you met with city officials while planning your Eagle Scout project; you made new friends and tried new activities and set goals to push yourself. I love the way you embrace life and the way you give it your all. You are brave and bold and one of the best people I know!

We had a big change in our family this year as Dad went to work first in DC and then in New Delhi. I am sure this has not been an easy adjustment for you, but you have handled it bravely and with grace. And, you've been a tremendous help and encouragement to me and a great example for your younger brothers during this time, and I want you to know you are appreciated. I'm so very thankful for you!

Weston, you are such a wonderful young man, and I love getting to do life with you! I appreciate all the ways you have matured in the last year and the many amazing ways you show up in the world. I'm so proud of you, and I hope the year ahead is your best on yet! Happy 14th!

Love,
Mom

My favorite 14-year-old