This book began as a journal I wrote to my son. The more I wrote, the more I believed it could be viewed not only as a letter to my own son, sharing my experiences and observations in life, but also to share them with mothers of the world. We are united in that same role: no matter where you live, your station in life, your status in the community. I think at our core, we all want the same thing for our children - we want a better life than what we had. We want our children to have less pain, less misfortune, more wisdom and to grow up in a better world in general than we did. What I began to write were things I wanted him to know as he grew older - lessons on life and love. But I also I wanted him to know that, aside from being his mother, I am also a real person. I'd like to be able to say, when he gets older, that my child had a glimpse into the person I was before he was born. I hope that within these pages, within these letters and lessons, all mothers can find their voice speaking with me as they help to shape the future of their own children.