Love, Jack

I am crazy about the necklace Christine from No Way Out  made me:

Isn't it lovely?

It was hard to decide which handwriting sample to pick. I could have used this signature (see name tag):

Or, I could have used his extremely neat handwriting from his last day with us that said:

Jack Donaldson

September 8, 2011 

on the top of several pages in his 7th grade notebooks.

Or his sweet first grade handwriting, from a school that still teachers cursive:

Instead, I picked this messier sample of unknown origin because it cracked me up. I found it in a file folder.

I have no idea what grade he was in, but I assume he was supposed to write his parents a love note. Knowing Jack, he tried to make it his own by insisting it be only one sentence, while everyone else filled up the page. That's why I choose it.

It's so easy (for me) to get caught up in a desire for the apparent ease of conformity. It's harder to remember to love our kids for their unique qualities.

I hope Jack taught me a little bit about how to do that.