One of my very best friends, Mike, and his wife, Andrea, welcomed their third child into the world early Sunday morning. Zachary Maxson Reynolds. Mike didn't talk about it a whole lot at first, just announed that Andrea was pregnant and the child was due in March. As the time grew near, though, he started getting more and more excited.

There's just something so special about a new life and being responsible for the every need for that little child. We must instill in them all that is good within us, while not making excuses for our mistakes so they might learn from us and through us. We must teach our children to better the world, to learn from history, to create the future. It's an awesome responsibility on the shoulders of us parents, and an even greater responsibility on the shoulders of our children.

Welcome to our wonderful world, little Zach. You have more opportunity available to you than we did when we were born 30 or so odd years ago. The sky is the absolute limit for you. You can accomplish as much, or as little, as you and your parents could possibly ever dream. Your dad is one of the smartest, most inquisitive people I have ever known. He has a thirst for knowledge and things and is always wanting to get better and be the best at everything he does. Although I don't know your mom well, mainly through your dad, I know that she has a fierce devotion to her family. You are coming into this world with the best kind of influences and an enormous amount of love and care directed at you. Soak it up, little one, grow big and strong in mind and body, heart and soul,  for you are our future.

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." ~ Shel Silverstein