Children are the future. With innocent eyes and magical dreams, they touch our hearts — and sometimes try our patience. My two sons have always been my life’s greatest treasures. I wanted to give them the world, protect them from pain and encourage them to live their dreams; a gift I had never been able to open . . . until recently. I preached ad-nausium . . . okay, that’s not really a word, but you get the picture . . . I tried to tell my children to do as I say, not as I do —a daunting task, especially through the tantrums and outbursts of their teenage years. I was convinced they had no use for Mom’s incessant messages. Those of you who are really close to me —or who read Wingless Butterfly —know the trials and tribulations I went through with my boys; especially Jace. Still, I never gave up —and somewhere along the way, when I wasn’t looking, they just got it. How do I know?
Well, yesterday I clicked on a status on Jace’s Facebook page and <!—more—>it brought me to his blog. I’d never read his posts before, and I smiled when I saw how articulate my young son had become. As I scanned the front page, one entry tugged at my heart and I have to share it with you all. Unbeknownst to me, my son really was listening to Mom, and his mother’s passion has become his own. Here is Jace’s blog post: So, I am currently 35,000 ft in the air on the way back to “Hotlanta” after my second trip to California in a one month time period. As many of you may know, it was decided a few months ago that this is where my future lies . . . what some of you may not know is exactly why . . . I’m going to start out by saying that being out here gives me a sense of freedom that Atlanta never has. After searching many possible spots to live out here, my co-pilot/business partner, Jonathan, and I stumbled across a beautiful island right outside of Oakland and San Francisco called Alameda. This is our new home. Alameda is an eclectic little town with everything one could ever need — all within a few blocks. From classic record stores and music shops, to hole in the wall bars and quaint local restaurants… You can still get a Big Mac, and God willing, a McRib (if the timing is right) if you so desire… Thankfully, the work we do has given us the opportunity, and the freedom, to pretty much live wherever we want, and, with that, we figured, we might as well live somewhere we love… somewhere that hasn’t exhausted our souls… and that, my friends, is California. This week has been a real eye-opener for me… we all know that happiness is a choice… but the decision can be somewhat difficult to make. With the constant hurdles and obstacles that stand in our way from day to day, it’s easy to want to roll over and accept the crap that we are handed… I’ve learned you truly can rise above to do, and be, who and whatever you want in life. A dear friend of mine, Kate Gervais, is such a great testimony to this… her positive attitude and amazing ambition have reinstilled this concept in me… I could list a million reasons as to how and why… but that’s another blog in itself. My point is that there are so many things in life worth chasing… worth going after… and it’s up to you, reader, whether or not you succeed at obtaining your goals. Work ethic is important; however, ‘work’ doesn’t have to drain your soul… it’s all in how you perceive what you do… If you are unhappy in a certain situation, change it! And you can say… ‘Well Jace, it’s not that easy… there is so much grey in the black and white,’ and I’m here to assure you that it is absolutely that easy… because I’m doing it myself. Wow! It gave me chills when I read Jace’s post. So I’m here to show you in vivid color — Don’t ever give up on your children. They ARE listening — even when you’re convinced they aren’t! Jace and his business partner/best friend have been so successful with their production company in Atlanta that they are moving to Alameda next month to open up another office on the west coast. I’ll miss him sooo much, but I know he is living his dreams; and that makes me so excited and happy for him! Love you, Jace!! Live your dreams, my friends — if not for yourself, to set an example for your children If they’re convinced that it’s possible, they’ll take a chance and with you on their side, they can live their own dreams! Casi
Congratulations, Casi. I would have thought u wrote this blog yourself. Jace gets it. He has “caught” your message. At such a young age for him to understand these profound & impacting principles spells success for him at the highest levels both now & in years to come. And that he is doing his own blog trying to share these concepts with his peers is to reach an audience that u might never have reached.