Letter To A Teen-Aged Boy

This is a letter I wrote to my great-grandson as he was approaching his 14th birthday. If anyone would desire to use it, I believe it would be appropriate for a boy you believe is mature enough to understand and appreciate it.

I composed it following the pattern of the poem "IF" by Rudyard Kipling.

Of course, if you do use it, you would need to put in the name of the boy addressed in the first paragraph and the first line of the last stanza. And then change the designation in the last line of the next to last stanza from "Great-grandson" to whatever is appropriate in your case, such as "Son" or "Grandson" or "Nephew" or "Friend" etc. And then change your own designation in the Signature line.

In my case I found a nice parchment type paper and even printed my own personal letterhead on the computer .

Melvin & Ethel Newland

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Tucker, I wish I could be with you at this very special time. But since I can’t, please let me express my love for you, and also give you something especially for you following the pattern of a poem by Rudyard Kipling titled “IF”

If you can keep your cool when everyone around you

Is losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when everybody else doubts you,

But you can understand why they have their doubts;

If you can wait and not get tired of waiting,

Or being lied about, but don’t be a liar too,

Or being hated, don’t become a hater too,

And yet don’t feel superior to others, or be a show-off;

If you can dream about your future, and work hard to achieve it,

If you can think and not spend all your time day-dreaming,

If you can face your victories and defeats in life

And not become boastful or just give up;

If you can take it when what you say is twisted

By people who just don’t agree with you,

Or see the things you really care about being ridiculed,

And they ignore what you are trying to say;

If you can be in a group, and freely share your Christian values,

Or mingle with important people, & not become stuck-up yourself,

If you won’t let what your enemies or your friends may say hurt you,

If everybody is important to you, and you don’t play favorites;

If you can fill your time by doing what needs to be done,

And not waste your time needlessly;

Yours will be a good life, and those around you will share in it,

And what is more, you’ll be a Man, my special Great-grandson!

And Tucker, if you’ll let the Word of God be your guide

And not the godless voices clamoring all around you,

You’ll truly be a Man of God, and yours will be Heaven

And everything that’s in it!

I pray for you daily, and I always will. I truly love you and I always will!

Your great-granddad,