Things I want My Son To Learn

Stand up for things he believes in.
I want my son to stand up for things he believes are right or wrong. I don't care which side he's on, as long as he picks one and defends it. He will only grow more from each decision he makes.

Stand up for people who can not or will not stand up for themselves.
There is a difference between being able to standing up for one's self and refusing to do so. I want him to become a man who is willing to stand up and be a man who will look out for and protect others when he sees that they need protecting. Especially when others aren't willing to ask for it.

To be the man he should be proud of, not just one his family would be proud of.
Actions can be the biggest and longest legacy a person can have. Words are not always the only thing remembered about a person, the way they lived their lives and the things they did can sometimes be more ingrained in history then the spoken word.

To learn when to forgive, when to let go and learn that forgetting just means letting go of the hurt.
Every child gets hurt. It's a fact. Even as adults we get hurt. We get hurt by actions, by words, or by non-actions. I want my son to learn to forgive those that hurt him, to learn from it and move on. However, I want him to learn from those situations and move forward and take those things and put the memories (while not holding on to the pain) to good use.

To remember that where you came from isn't always where you are going.
Just because he will spend (at a minimum) the majority of his formidable years as a military child I want my son to know that he has options. He can choose to make his own way in this world and following in his father's footsteps, while admirable, are not required. I want him to decide for himself where that path will lead - even if the destination changes 2, 5 or a million times.

To remember that his family will be there, cheering in his corner for him, no matter what.
I want my son to learn a sense of family. I want him to have strong ties to his entire family, so that he will grow up with a wonderfully huge family that will support him, and be there to listen to him as well as push and pull him when ever he needs it the most. Even if that means it's part of his extended "military" family steping in.