Be Who You Are, Not Who They Tell You to Be

Dear Son,

If I had one wish for you, it wouldn’t be success.
It wouldn’t be money.
It wouldn’t even be happiness.

It would be this:
Be who you are. Not who they tell you to be.

Because the world—well-meaning or not—will try to shape you.
Into something easier.
Quieter.
Straighter.
Harder.
Colder.
Or just less.

I know this because I lived it.

I wore masks for years. I…