A Letter to my Nephew

Dear Jay,

We are a family based on love. We love each other unconditionally. There isn't a single thing that you could do that would cause us to stop loving you. We are a family of big hearts that only expand when a new member is added. We don't love anybody less when a new member is added, we just make room for more love. When we say 'goodbye' or end a phone call with each other, we always remind the person we're talking to that we love them. Always.

We are a family that helps. If you have a problem that you can't figure out on your own, tell us. Because your problem is our problem. You broke something? Dad or Grandpa can fix it. You're having a rough time? Your uncle will listen to you for hours on end, without saying a peep to anyone. Hungry? Your mother and grandma are two of the most amazing cooks I have ever met (ask her to make your dad's favorite, or her chocolate caramel cheesecake. It's bomb). Did someone hurt you? Everybody in this whole family will be out for blood. Need money? We'll scrape together whatever money we can to help.

We are a family that serves. When a neighbor needs help moving, we offer our service. When someone's car breaks down, we pick them up. We participate in Park Appreciation Day every year, despite the years it has landed on Aunt Nigel's birthday. We are happy to help and serve where ever we can.

We're also a family that teases. First, it'll probably be simple stuff, like we've got your nose, or we have no idea what happened to whatever it is that we're hiding behind our backs. But as you get older and we get to know you, we'll tease you on something stupid you did, because you will do something stupid. But we know where the line is drawn. Do not ask grandpa what color something is. Although it's fun to test his color blindness, he does not like it.

We're a family that loves God. We go to church every week, we pray before every meal, and we thank God for all that He has given us. We recognize the blessings we have in our lives and know we wouldn't have anything without him.

We are a family of movie references. Though they mostly consist of The Breakfast Club, The Emporers New Groove, and old Disney movies, we quote movies all the time, and we will make you guess what movie it is, We are movie buffs and we do not discriminate against genre. Action, RomCom, based on a true story, we'll watch it. We watch movies a lot. Which also means we consume a lot of popcorn.

We watch football. Every. Sunday. You will watch football. You will be a Seahawks fan. And because of your father, you will also be a Utes fan. Don't fight it.

But most importantly, we love you. Everybody in this family fell in love with you the second your mom and dad told us they were pregnate with you. We called you Peanut before you had an official name, and we loved you before you even took your first breath of air.

We love you. I love you. Remember that.

Love,

Aunt Nigel