Competent People

Dear Gabriel,

I love competent people. The project I am working on is so great for me! I love working with people who are smart, fast, efficient, funny, and hard workers. Whenever I work with people like that I think to myself, 'How did their mom's teach them those things'? Several times in my life I forget that everyday skills are TAUGHT. So often I underestimate truly how much I know and can teach, because it seems so normal to me.

There are times I remember how much I know when I meet people who don't have the same skills. Please know I am not saying this to elevate myself with my knowledge... MANY other people have better skills than I do! But, there is so much to the world that I can add because of the skills I have. Largely due to my mother and father for BEING those kind of people.

Hopefully I can teach you to be a competent person! I want you to be that man on the project who will dig in with his hands and get the work done without complaining. I want you to be that man that handles conflict effectively and sensitively. I want you to be the man who can go through any situation, no matter how hard, with a smile and finding humor along the way.

When I remember I want you to be that man, I remember that I must be that as your mom! You will learn those things from me and your dad. Raising a child is the best way to find out if we are competent people ;-)

I love you,

Your Mom