Life Lessons: The promises we make

I have learned in life that we are here to make some kind of contribution and hopefully make the world a little bit brighter. We experience so much in our lives if we are fortunate to live full lives and share our hopes, dreams, wishes, joys and heartbreaks with someone special to us. If we are blessed to meet and marry and raise a family we are forever making promises we hope to keep. I have always been sincere in what it is I wish to do in my life and the promise I made to my parents was that I would try to do my best in all I attempt and that I would always appreciate every little thing and that I would come to love and respect all people I meet because my parents taught me that it is an honorable person who recognises the good in everyone.

When I married I made a promise to my wife that I would always be faithful and loyal and would always love and cherish her and be very appreciative for what I have and know that I am very lucky to have a lovely bride and son who mean the world to me. I also promised my wife that I will always stand by her side and I would be as strong as I possibly can and be a good influence on our son and teach him how to become a man.

I have been so captivated with my son since his birth and I remember vividly that special day when I first saw him and held him in my arms. I always hold on to that special feeling in my heart of knowing that my life would center around my wife and son and that our son would always know he is loved and that he will always be protected and nurtured. We as parents always make a firm promise and commitment to our children that they will always be the centerpiece in our life and no matter how difficult things may seem that the gentle smile and innocence our children show us is our reward and to me that is the best gift I could ever have. My promise to my son is to always stand by his side and to encourage him and to help him when he feels down or unsure. Children are supposed to know only happy things and we always need to protect them from the difficult realities. We need to slowly introduce them to the sad things in life so as to teach them but we also need to use proper judgement and know how to gauge our child's state of mind. I am learning everyday and realize my son is very sensitive so I need to know how to explain and teach him important life lessons.

The promise I make to my employer and people I work with is that I will always respect them and always be responsible and perform my job with professionalism, sincerity and integrity. I will treat my employer and my clients all the same with dignity, class and always put forth my best effort.

The promise I make to my family is that I will always be there for them and I will always be loyal, loving and so very appreciative to have them in my life.

The promise I make to mankind is that I will always appreciate extending my friendship and try my best to help the less fortunate and always be respectful and treat everyone with dignity and compassion.

The promise I make to God is that I will live a life dedicated to Christ's teachings and that I will live knowing that I have been given an extraordinary gift of life and I should always make the most of it, be very appreciative and reach out to others with sincerity and hope and always have faith and be responsible and devoted to my family and friends.

In closing the biggest promise I make is one to myself that I will try my best to fulfill all my hopes, dreams and wishes and I will try to be the best person I can be so I can love my wife and son with all my heart and teach my son about life and help guide him and teach him the ways of life so he can go out into the world growing from young boy to a kind and compassionate man and live a rich and fulfilling life full of promise, joy and happiness.

Edward D. Iannielli III