Dear Parent,

I am writing to thank you. I am writing to tell you that my judgement on you is not based on a moment of frustrated relief, or on a single time you made a poor judgement call. I do not base my opinion of you on your appearance or on the car that you drive.

My opinion of you, dear parent, is on the children you have raised. To raise a gentleman in today’s society is a difficult task. A man who opens doors for women, treats the elderly with the respect they deserve, and makes people, even strangers, smile; is a note worthy person indeed. These character traits; joyful, respectful, and kind, may seem ordinary but there are few who can claim them all, which is why true gentlemen are few and far between.

I applaud you, dear parent, and respect you greatly for having accomplished the task of rearing such a child. I encourage you, if you have not already realized this, to note that you son is a true gentleman, one who puts others before himself on a daily basis. Although there may be times when you see a child who stays up to late, and drives too fast, what you are missing are the moments that truly count. Your son has a way of acknowledging that the teller at the bank is a real person, and he makes her laugh. He sees the elderly woman who drops her cane and she  is thankful to your son for picking it up for her. He is respectful to people from all walks of life, and his smile is contagious.

That your son makes mistakes is human, that he is a gentleman- now that’s a true testament of your love and of God’s plan for him. There’s always more to God’s story than meet’s the parents eye.

Respectfully yours,

Someone who noticed.