Hello :P It is the 28th so of course I am back to update this. I can't believe it's yet another anniversary for me and AAML-TAML. We've known each other so long and lots of stuff has happened. I'm lucky to have had her there for me every step of the way and to have met her twice. I hope you all enjoy this story but especially you, boo. Our conversations of our stuff and life in general really helped me with this one. I had a good reflect on everything we have put Ash and Misty and everyone through and for each time, good and bad, came up with a lesson that Ash may have learned. This is him telling his children them :3
Ages:
Ash:
Ben: 12
Katie: 12
James K: 6
Jessika (Elisha): 5
Rey: 2
Disclaimer: I own the story and Ash and Misty's offspring.
Dear Darlings,
When I became a father, I always thought I'd be the one teaching you all lessons. How stupid of me. You have all taught me so many lessons and I am forever grateful for each and every one of them. Benjamin; you taught me to always keep that innocent and childlike quality inside of me for always. Katie; you taught me how you can overcome anything with the right attitude. James; you taught me that being sensitive and feeling all of your emotions is a good thing. Jessika; you taught me that you have the right to follow whatever path you want to. And last but not least, Rey; you taught me that darkness always leads to the light. I can't thank you all enough. I hope to repay you at least a little bit by teaching all of the things I know. So let us begin.
If you have the opportunity to be kind and pay someone a sincere compliment, make sure you take it. If you have the opportunity to be judgemental and make fun of someone or make them feel bad, never ever take it. Even if it is a joke, they can be just as harmful as if you were serious. Never say something horrible for real and then pretend it's a joke. People always realise the truth in the end.
Always stay true to yourself and I mean every single part of you. Whether it's your beliefs or your actions or who you love. Never be afraid to love someone, even if people make you feel judged for feeling the way you do. Trust me; I know how it feels to feel so passionately about something and the frustration of them not feeling the exact same way or sometimes the opposite way. But that's okay. Some journeys are made just for you and other people can never be a part of. The power of your love will always outweigh someone's biased and sometimes negative opinions. Be proud of who you are. You have been made by your mother and I with love. You were made to be an individual and made to 100% be as true to yourself as you possibly can. It is rare these days to find someone who is completely themselves and proud of that fact. Be one of the rare people. You were born to be just that, I know it.
There's a lot of bad stuff in the world. But don't let that cloud over the fact there's a lot of beautiful things in it also. Money isn't everything. Being a kind person and helping others before yourself is the true wealth. Having a heart of gold is priceless. You can be successful and have lots of money yet be empty. You can live in simplicity and not have a lot of money and be full of the love of people around you.
There is no such thing as good or bad people. There's just people in this world. Lots and lots of people. And we all have done stupid stuff that we regret. And we all will do stupid stuff that we regret. I've done stupid stuff that I regret. But you all helped teach me that there is good in every body. It may be hard but give people second chances. Maybe even third or fourths if you feel they are worthy. Remember – always do what feels right in your heart. You're the one who has to live with your decisions and actions so make sure you're the one who makes them. Not somebody else who thinks they know what they're talking about but they really don't. Remember, opinions aren't fact. It's okay to have opinions, but make sure they don't intentionally hurt other people.
Don't let anybody else's negative actions change your perception of people. Just because someone hurt you once, doesn't mean another person is going to hurt you in the exact same way. Me and your mom have raised and are going to raise you to be warm and accepting people. Not everybody's parents did or do the same. Give people a chance. Let people into your life. You never know who is going to turn your world upside down for all the right reasons.
Believe in your dreams. My darlings, it is so important to believe in your dreams. Because if you are dedicated enough and you believe enough, they don't have to be just dreams. They can become your reality. Don't let people put you down for reaching for the stars. Trust me, they're envious of you. They wish they had the guts to do the exact same thing.
Just try. You don't always have to succeed. If you don't succeed it's not always a fail. There will be a lesson in there somewhere. Just make sure you try. Try your hardest. If you don't try then you'll never know the amazing things and people and opportunities that might have come your way.
Be a leader and not a follower. Do what you want to do for you and enjoy the things you enjoy because you want to. Be bold enough to try something new or wear something that nobody has ever worn before. Some people want to do the same but they're waiting for the example and reassurance of someone else first. Be that person. Be a leader.
Show and tell the people you love that you love them. My darlings, I'm not going to lie to you. Love can be hard. Sometimes you don't feel it all the time. Sometimes it feels like you're giving it you're all but they're not giving it back. That's okay. There is always 100% love, even when you are giving it 60 and they're giving it 40. Love is not only a feeling but it is a choice. You choose to be loyal. You choose to look for the good when your vision is clustered by the not so good. You choose to make it work. You choose a person to spend the rest of your life with someone. And that choice is a destiny.
Not all love has to be romantic. Friendships and the relationships with your family are just important and just as worthy, believe me. Don't let anybody tell you any different. It's okay to tell your friends you love them. If you feel it, why not say it? Love is the most powerful thing in the world; romance isn't. Romance is a part of love but not all love has to be romance. Also, friendship break ups are hard too. It's okay to cry and eat ice cream while you're going through it.
My darlings, please make sure that you're accepting. Accept all sides of every person. The beautiful and the ugly. The positive and the negative. Their past and their future. Their flaws and their strengths. Just accept. Accept people. Accept the situation that you're in right now. Accept everything you've been through. Accept yourself.
There's no such thing as a perfect person. Trust me, we're all damaged and we have all gone through stuff that has scratched our skin and even cut it. Also, weird is not a bad word. People will love you for your quirks, I promise you that.
Look after yourself. It's important to help people out and do as much as you can for them. But it's also important to take time for yourself. It's not called being selfish. It's something that we all must do. At the end of the day, we're the only person we're going to truly live with our entire lives. So make sure you spend some alone time. To heal. To think. To reflect. And to get to know your true self.
My final lesson, my darlings is that I love you with all of my heart. From the day that I held each of you in my arms, you all gave me a new purpose in life and new dreams to start achieving. I never knew the meaning of true love until I met your mother and all of you and that is a fact. You didn't just change my world but you flipped it upside down and sideways and all the ways you can think of. All for the best, of course.
I wish you all the best, always. I've given you my best but I've also given you my worst. And that's okay because I tried my hardest the entire time. I want you to view me as who I truly am. A person. A person who has made mistakes and will make mistakes but will always learn from them. A person who would give everything up just to see his family happy. A person that you have helped create, even though I technically helped create you. And last but certainly not least; a person who loves you with every inch of his soul and will never stop. Not once in the entire history of the world.
Lots of love forever and always,
Ash.
There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 This chapter was special for me I think because if I came up with these lessons myself for Ash, they must be inside me somewhere. I just need to learn to apply them to my own life at all times. Thanks again and I will be back next Wednesday with Pikachu Tales. I've been writing so much recently and can't wait to share my new ideas and chapters. See you then!
AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3