1. Follow your dreams. Not the dreams you think you should want, but the dreams that make your soul sing. When you close your eyes, you'll see the life you want. Follow that.
2. Never let anyone tell you you can't do it. Not a teacher, friend, your Mum or Dad (yes, I just advised you to ignore me or your father!) You CAN do it. Whatever you want to do is in the palm of your hands, you have only to reach for it.
3. Judge people on who they are, not what they are. This is a very important distinction to make. For example, never make sweeping statements like "All lawyers just want the big bucks," when the person next to you in the Woollies queue could be a kind-hearted person who became a lawyer because they wanted to give a voice to those who couldn't defend themselves.
4. Likewise, never let anyone judge you on what you are. They don't know who you are underneath your uniform or job title or physical appearance.
5. Love like there's no tomorrow and get your heart broken. It is a lot less painful to have your heart broken into smithereens and feel it'll never be whole again than to wake up as an 86 year old and find yourself consumed by the emptiness of never loving for fear of being hurt.
6. Be yourself. That way, you always know you are loved for who you are.
7. When it comes to sex, NEVER have sex with anyone without their informed enthusiastic consent. If you haven't discussed it with your partner beforehand and received a "Hell yes!" in reply, you don't have informed enthusiastic consent. Oh and if they're under the legal age of consent or very drunk, they can't give informed (even if it seems enthusiastic!) consent so don't go there.
8. While we're on the topic of sex, never let anyone make you feel you need to have sex to keep them or to look cool or for any reason other than you enthusiastically want to. Sex won't put a relationship that's gone sour back together and it won't make you feel cool to regret an experience you have, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth.
9. I don't care if you are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, omnisexual or any other word you can add to sexual. All I care about is that you are treated well and are happy.
10. Your father and I love you more than you could possibly know and will always be here for you. Nothing you do could make us love you any less so please come to us if you need help for ANY reason. We'll be here for you.
2. Never let anyone tell you you can't do it. Not a teacher, friend, your Mum or Dad (yes, I just advised you to ignore me or your father!) You CAN do it. Whatever you want to do is in the palm of your hands, you have only to reach for it.
3. Judge people on who they are, not what they are. This is a very important distinction to make. For example, never make sweeping statements like "All lawyers just want the big bucks," when the person next to you in the Woollies queue could be a kind-hearted person who became a lawyer because they wanted to give a voice to those who couldn't defend themselves.
4. Likewise, never let anyone judge you on what you are. They don't know who you are underneath your uniform or job title or physical appearance.
5. Love like there's no tomorrow and get your heart broken. It is a lot less painful to have your heart broken into smithereens and feel it'll never be whole again than to wake up as an 86 year old and find yourself consumed by the emptiness of never loving for fear of being hurt.
6. Be yourself. That way, you always know you are loved for who you are.
7. When it comes to sex, NEVER have sex with anyone without their informed enthusiastic consent. If you haven't discussed it with your partner beforehand and received a "Hell yes!" in reply, you don't have informed enthusiastic consent. Oh and if they're under the legal age of consent or very drunk, they can't give informed (even if it seems enthusiastic!) consent so don't go there.
8. While we're on the topic of sex, never let anyone make you feel you need to have sex to keep them or to look cool or for any reason other than you enthusiastically want to. Sex won't put a relationship that's gone sour back together and it won't make you feel cool to regret an experience you have, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth.
9. I don't care if you are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, omnisexual or any other word you can add to sexual. All I care about is that you are treated well and are happy.
10. Your father and I love you more than you could possibly know and will always be here for you. Nothing you do could make us love you any less so please come to us if you need help for ANY reason. We'll be here for you.
~
Now I've waxed poetic about what I'd like my son to know, I'm curious to know what advice you wish your parents had given you? If you have or plan on having children, what advice will you give them about life?
