Dear Emma, Grayson, Claire and Cooper,

There are so many parental "pearls of wisdom" I'd love to impart to you. The time is going so quickly though ... and it's filled with things like "Time for bed" and "Turn off the lights" and my personal favorite ... "Flush the toilet!!!"

These things are important. If mastered, they will make you an easier person to live with.

But they are not the most important. This is. Listen up guys.

Make friends. Good ones. When you find them ... hold on tight. They will be your lifelines.

Surround yourself with good people that will tell you the truth. Even when it is hard to hear.

These will be the people you call when you get the best and most tragic news of your lives.
These friends will vacation with you, stand up at your weddings, be there for the birth of your children, and the funerals of your parents. They will take you shopping, out to movies and cocktails, and drag you to spin class. They will cheer for you when things are great and cry with you when they are not. They will be the immovable force in your lives.

These friendships won't always be easy. There will be hurt feelings, tiffs, arguments, and senses of abandonment. You may loose sight of them for a while. Hold tighter. Breathe deeper. It will pass. They will come back. And part of you will come with them.

Because these kinds of relationships are God given. And God driven.

I promise to help you nurture these relationships because I know how important they are to me. I want that for you. You and I may not always see things the same way. I expect that. But I need to know that you will have the sort of people watching out for you that I have watching out for me. You'll know when you find them. And so will I.

Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Choose wisely. I have.