Lisa Rose Bauer

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dear child,

Soon you will begin your journey into this world. May your passage and arrival be filled with every blessing. May you know that all who await you do so with joy and love already spilling over.

Here in late July, the days are evaporating in the heat of this summer. Your arrival is expected very soon. Everyone is waiting to meet you. The waiting days are blending together and moving slowly. But soon you will arrive.

This letter is written to you in hopes that you will come to find where the answers can be found. I write this to you from one of the most peaceful places I know of. I hope you get to experience many long hours walking in such a place where you’ll feel and hear your answers. 

Some look to solve their mysteries and questions from the outside, from external sources. But the answers are always on the inside. And the answers are in the wind and the sun and the grass.

Every day, put your face to the sun at least once. When you can put your toes in the sand or in the grass. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Let the energy ground you and steady you.

The road ahead will be fraught with indecision and confusion and curiosity. But also with an instinct so deep, it will chart your course, if you listen and believe. The way forward, the primary compass, is always in your heart and in your soul. A soul that is already yours and waiting to breathe its first breath on this earth.

The wind will guide your direction. Paths cut through the trees will help you realize that there is more than one route to where you’re going. And while you may journey in these quiet places alone, know that when you travel forward hardly ever will you be alone.

There will always be someone, many, cheering you on from the sidelines and rooting for you across the miles. We are not expected to traverse this life alone. Ask for help and receive it gracefully. You will never be judged for needing help. But you will be buoyed up beyond anything you can imagine to have someone lift you across the finish lines as you will do for them someday.

In the distance, a train rumbles over tracks, its whistle beckoning outwardly taking someone to a destination. A water fountain in a small pond with its peaceful spray refreshes the mind and calms the spirit. Lily pads abound, your stepping stones. 

Be true to yourself and live in grace and dignity. Both will always serve you best and build your character. Others will come to know you by these qualities and not by any others. It takes time to carve out your place in the world. It takes patience. It takes grit and perseverance, and everything mixed into one giant melting pot that you can call on as needed, when needed.

Someday you may choose to play this incredible sport that will call on all measure of your character. Golf may become a passion that simply must be part of your life. Whatever passion you find, whatever sparks your soul, the qualities you will build will bring you great joy in all that you do. 

The blueprint of a golf course is the very symbol of life in its smooth fairways, hills to climb, boundaries, blessings and winning and losing. If you’re listening, and you believe, everything you need will come from the inside out and you will find your way. 

May peace and balance find you always, grandson.

Nota bene: Blessings and love to our boy born July 27, 2024.