Do Not Grow Slack

To my son Tommy,

In most everything we do in life there is an ebb and tide.  Habits and projects tend to follow a sine wave graph of ups and downs.  You start a diet, lose twenty, go off your diet because of this holiday or special occasion and don't immediately restart, hopefully only gain back ten before you tighten up and start watching your diet yet again.  You clean your house all gung-ho in the beginning but when you near the end you ease up instead of persevering with the same standards and effort you started.  You start exercising at the beginning of the year with your new year resolution of getting fit and by March your gym membership is being wasted.  It is easy to quit or slack off and that is okay for many things in life.  It isn't the optimal situation but it happens and you can't beat yourself up for everything.

But for the most important things in life you must try to never (to borrow words from Paul) "grow slack in zeal".  Never slack off on trying to be a better person.  Never slack off on being good.  Never slack off on doing the right thing.  Never slack off your faith or religion.  Never slack off on your concern and care for others.  Never slack off on your compassion and forgiveness.  Never slack off on your sincerity or your love.  It takes constant effort to maintain these qualities and you must try to endure.  We all know how easy it is to quit and how hard it is to restart a habit.  These things are probably some of the easiest to let slip away and the hardest to reclaim.  But take heart, if when you have read this as an adult you find you have slacked off in any of these areas, the obstacles in reclaiming these traits or attributes only lie within you and are not as daunting as you will have made them out to be.  As a four year old right now, these traits and habits and qualities are automatic for you.  I would just have to add for your four year old self, never slack off on being cute!

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo