A letter to the future people of my life.

Dear Future Family,

I still suck at making a three course meal. I burnt the caramel sauce while making crème brulee the other night. I can make a gourmet pasta with al dente noodles, but of course you’ll get tired of it as time goes. I want to serve you a perfect medium well steak and the perfect sauce on special days. I just don’t like the A1 stuff. And I can’t trust Campbell soup every time. We can enjoy sodas every weekend and sip on fruit shakes while grilling hotdogs and barbecue in the backyard.  But I still need to learn to love the good old water and discuss you the benefits of drinking a non-flavored drink. I’m still as stubborn as I was six years ago. I don’t like how my job demands extra working hours and that I only get eight days vacation leave each year. I want to spend more time with you than working on making money. They always tell me I’m a bit of a rebel. No, I am not. I just know how to stand up for what I believe in and fight for the things I think I deserve. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Ask if you have to. Silence is not always a good answer. This young lady who’s writing this letter does not settle for mediocrity and everybody knows that. You, too, my dear future family has to learn how to fight for your rights.

I still need to discover places to visit on weekends. The malls are awesome but outdoors and parks are the coolest. We can go to picnics once in a while, go biking, eat sandwiches under the shade, lie on the grass, fly kites and chase dragonflies. I sure will be a “stage mom” on your first day in school, or will awkwardly demand to take your pictures with your dates on Prom Nights, cheer for you on your championship game or ballet recital. I need to get myself get ready for meetings with the principal or dean once in a while (part of me hope not to have a face-to-face meetings with your principal, though). And will need extra time to learn how not to be emotional when you walk down the aisle and say your “I do’s” to your groom, and need not to worry when you get home late because you had to drive your girlfriend home after weekend dates.

I still need to be more patient when you can’t fix the bathroom fixtures perfectly. And be more understanding when you’re an hour late on our anniversary dates. I still need to learn how to throw a surprise birthday party for you and our kids. Or give you a relaxing massage after a tiring day at work. I still need a better understanding at how you’re addicted to DoTA and shooting zombies and terrorists. God knows, I did try to understand the perks of being a gamer. I only know how to play Super Mario and NBA Three-Point Shoot Out. And I painfully fail at those. Your choice of music is not music to my ears at all. You like techno, while I live in the 90’s. Boybands aren’t my thing.....but, I like One Direction. And Westife. And BSB. And Boyzone. Oh and I like N’Sync, too. I sing “Wannabe” in the shower and you need to get used to the awesomeness of my singing voice. I promise not to judge you when you belt out a Frank Sinatra. I won’t laugh either when you sing off key. I will try.

We will fight and make up. We will go through humps and bumps along our journey. I need to be stronger and braver than I was yesterday. And yes, we will negotiate with our parents when they spoil our kids with candies and goodies. We will need to set the house rules and raise happy kids, be parents and best friends to our children and team partners. If it’s not too much to ask, will you also wash the dishes and do the laundry once in a while?

Dear future family. Happy twenty six years of not meeting you yet. And thank you for making me work on myself.

I await for the day we finally meet,

Rodelie