Not All Who Wander (To My Son On His Graduation Day)

My Dearest Son,

On the occasion of a high school graduation most parents have sage advice for their son or daughter. Most can tell you with certainty the correct direction in which to launch yourself into the next phase of being an adult.  I, however, am not one with sage advice.  I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, and find myself sometimes still wandering about aimlessly at times.  But there is one thing I would like to tell you...not so much advice as a mantra that I would like for you to carry with you.  It is this: Not all who wander are lost.  

I want you to know that, son.  I want you to not only hear those words, but internalize them and make them your traveling companion as you walk through the new world of independence waiting for you. I want you to make it the rhythm to which you walk...Not all who wander are lost, Not all who wander are lost, Not all who wander are lost.  I want you to know that it is OK to not have it all figured out.  It is OK to be scared.  It is OK to be confused.  It is OK to walk through the grass or the woods where no one has tread before you.  It is OK to wander because not all who wander are lost.

Go forward boldly but take time to veer off the well-worn path that the masses take because sometimes wandering alone and blazing your own way is where you find yourself, where you come back to the you you were meant to be. It is where you find your internal compass that will lead you in the correct direction. Wandering can teach you lessons that you may not have otherwise learned. Wandering can let you see things that others have not seen, and that, my precious child, is where the beauty lies. You get one life, so live it. Create experiences and fill your heart with gladness.  Always be content with what you have, but never settle for less than you are worth.

I am so very proud of who you are.  You are the best and brightest of me. You have a soul to be proud of, so trust yourself in quiet, still moments and follow your heart.  Be you.  Be the best you.  I love you with every ounce of my being, with every fiber that creates me.  Congratulations on this accomplishment, my son.  Your journey is just beginning and what one hell of a journey it will be.

Love,
Mom