My son’s 15th birthday

My incredible son turns 15 today. Everyone in the family still calls him Mishulya, kitty, bunny, my boy, sweetheart, and so on when talking to him. And the kitty does not mind—he lets us call him that. That fact speaks to his remarkable maturity and self-confidence. At his age, I was terribly self-conscious and embarrassed by that kind of familiarity. I thought it was uncool.

It is wonderful to watch this person grow, develop, and become more mature, smarter, and wiser. It is wonderful to see what a full and interesting life he lives, what good people he finds and befriends, what a caring young man he is in relationships, and what an inquisitive, passionate, well-rounded intellectual he is.

It is such a pleasure simply to talk with him every day, to discuss serious topics, to share adult events from my life, fears, hopes, achievements, and secrets. And he listens—not merely tolerates it, but truly listens.

Son, I am happy that we have you. I am happy to be your dad. I am proud of you and, in many ways, I admire you. Remember: you can do anything. These are not just pretty words—you really can do anything. You already have the entire foundation you need to achieve everything you could possibly want in life. Don’t slow down—speed up. Keep improving yourself, keep reaching for the new, keep learning, reading, loving, striving, dreaming, living, and always keep your spirits up.

You are very cool, you are incredible. Be happy, and happy birthday to you, my kitty!

P.S. Never forget that for all these 15 years (even longer, really), your mom and dad have helped build that foundation for you.