The Lion Heart's Loyal Subjects

Day 32:

"So much of what is best in us is bound up in our love of family, that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty. All other pacts of love or fear derive from it and are modeled upon it." --Haniel Long

This quote, Conor, is as true a statement as I might be able to muster, only said eloquently and with conviction. And to be sure it's family, and friends close enough to be family, who will be your guiding lights through your lifetime. And I will support your every wish no matter how small, so long as you realize each and every decision you make will bare some level of impact greater than just yourself, but also on the family who loves you so. It's a hard thing to figure, especially as a young man. Impossible as a young boy. But every decision you make carries with it a weight, and those decisions, be they good or bad, can always be shared and / or confided in family and your closest friends. And they too will support you.

I don't mean to wax poetic, Conor, but it's truly impressive; the bond of family. Every family is diverse, though the individuals within it are what shapes you. This is true morally, ethically, and spiritually, and the older you get the more unique you'll become on the culmination of these things. Be they your Mother and Father, Aunts and Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, or closest friends, you'll take a little a from each a little at a time. And I believe that starts now.

You're a month old today, Son. In that time you've seen not only visitors from the Washington DC area, but from South Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. They're making these journeys simply to meet you, Conor. Love and loyalty unmatched. And there's no doubt you're going to receive more visitors filled with love and bearing gifts and anxious to meet the Lion Heart. The little boy they've heard and read so much about. Conor An Chroí Lion. The fighter they've been inspired by. The flesh and blood they've fallen in love with from afar. Today's post is dedicated to those family and friends. Those who've come and those who are coming. You're so very blessed, Conor. You're so loved. And when you read this many years from now I should only hope you'll recognize your life as having been filled with all the love I speak of in this post, because then it will be your turn to pay it forward. To do unto others as has been done to you.

I love you, Conor. Always.
-Dad