Ma'Son and Dad
You and Mommy
You and your Brother Domonick
Mason,
I am writing you this letter to let you know how much you mean to me. You are only 20 days old now and I've only had a few opportunities to spend with you. I just want you to know that if I don't get a chance to bond with you, it is not by my choice. I have tried everything in my power to make your mother understand how important it is for you to have me in your life and for me to have you in mine. I'm your daddy, and I love you and your brother with all my heart. I am always here for you when you need me. It's so hard for me to not have you close to me.
You have another family son, You have a gramma and lots of Aunts and Uncles and so many cousins on our side of the family. Your brother Domonick, we call him Dnick, he can't wait to spend time with you and bond with you. You are so very special Mason and I am so proud to have you for my son.
There are so many things I want to tell you. So much I want to teach you. You're part Russian and part Black, that make you very unique. You have the best of both cultures in you. That's one hell of a mixture. You will find that some people will try to put you down because of your ethnicity. Ignorant people will judge you just because you have darker skin. I'm telling you now son, don't pay them any attention. You have every reason to be proud of being black. Our culture is so rich, our history is so vast. Once you learn what we've been through and what we had to endure as a people and how we overcome all of the obstacles that were put before us, you will understand truly why it is such an honor to be apart of such a magnificent Race of people. But you will learn more about that through out your life. Just know that you have family and others that will be able to relate to you when you experience issues of racism. I will continue to blog on here and leave letters for you. Because if we are separated for any reason and you decide to search for me or yourself, you will find these blogs and realize that these letters are for you and from your dad. You will know that I love you, that I am thinking of you and long to be apart of your life. Keep your head up son, your Dad is a call away.
Important names for you if you are looking for your family.
Shirley Richards grandmother Gary Indiana
Teresa Mann Aunt Oakland California
Gregory Ricks Uncle Tennessee/Minnesota
Sandra and Monique Toney Aunt and Cousin St Paul, Minnesota
Tyrone Herron Uncle LA, California
Rogena Guerra Aunt Gary Indiana
Keith Herron Uncle Michigan
I'm always here for you son,
Mason, one of the first lessons I would like you to learn is that, you can never know everything. There is always room to learn. Throughout your life travels you should always be a seeker of knowledge. Continue to grow. Continue to ask questions. Question yourself and always ask why? If you understand the “why” it will help you make better decisions in life. And with every decision you make, always always consider the consequences. How it will affect your future both short term and long term. And if you make a decision that was not so good, always be prepared to deal with the consequences of those actions. That is not to say accept anything that comes at you relating to that decision. What I’m saying Mason, is to be prepared to deal with what ever the consequences is, take responsibility for your actions and correct what ever is in your power to correct.
I want you to grow to be a strong young man but not a bully. I would like to see you become a man of principles. To have compassion for others yet stand up for yourself. Be humble and stray from being arrogant. Arrogance is a quality that is really distasteful in the eyes of others. Although it may appear to be strong in your eyes others will see you as a dick. I want you to be a good person. And I would like to see you stray from trouble. Men in our family have seen their share of trouble. We’ve been to the penitentiary and in and out of jail. I want to break that cycle. I want better for you. I love you so much and there is so much I want to share with you to help you grow and prosper in life. It’s important for me because once you were born; I stopped living for myself and started living for you.
I know that your life is your life. I don’t want to be the kind of father to have my son live for me or force you to a lifestyle that you do not care for. But I feel it is my responsibility to guide you in the best way I can. And be there for you when you have those difficult decisions to make. You may hear me speak of decisions a lot. The decisions that you make will determine the type of man you will grow to be and the type of life you will make for yourself. That’s why I will be here for you to be your back when you need. I will let you know what I would like to see from you. Just know that if I want it for you, you can best believe it’s in your best interest.
Drugs: Just say No. Weed, pills, sniffing, snorting, shooting up and what ever else they have out there in your day in terms of chemical abuse. Why? Because I want you to be able to obtain a good job and not worry about being drug tested. I would like to see you be a man that can use his own mind and not need the assistance of a chemical substance to be yourself and to be creative. And I want you to have a long life. You have a beautiful mind. Son, don’t destroy it by contaminating it with that shit. Don’t believe the hype. Neither Uncle Greg nor Uncle Marcus has your best interest at heart. Drugs are not cool. Your daddy does not condone the use of drugs. Your Daddy have on occasion used illegal drugs. Not cool. Those who truly love you and have your best interest at heart would not encourage you to engage in activities they know are detrimental to you or your future. Enough said?
I know it seem as if I’m jumping right into the guts of things. Serious and strait to the point. But remember, I am many years your senior. Sometimes I worry that I won’t be around to tell you all the things I need to before I am called to leave this earth. But know that at this time in your life, I am spending quality time with you, loving you and raising you. Making sure that you are having fun and that you are healthy and well taken care of. You will have plenty of photos to reflect on our relationship and know that your Daddy was with you from the beginning and remained steadfast by your side till my dying day. Know that you are an extension of me as we are and extension of my father Robert Lloyd Sr. and he his Jeffery Herron. I have composed a biography of my life on the website herron-world.com under the link the man, so that you might draw from my experiences and learn from the lessons I have learned throughout my life. I understand that sometimes your own experiences are the best teachers but in learning my experiences you might understand how it is that I have got to the place that I am at and it may help you to avoid some of the mistakes that I have made in my time. Yes, I’ve made mistakes. A many of them but the secret is to learn from them and to grow from them. I worry that you will get in trouble someday, and not necessarily of your own accord. Sometimes, just the mere color of your skin place disadvantages on you and often make you a target for racism, discrimination and hate. But regardless son, always be proud of who you are. You have the best of both worlds being Mulatto. Stand on that. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel less. And always remember that you are not better then the next man either. Hate works both ways. Don’t be a hater yourself Mason. We are better then that. Have pride in who you are but not so much pride that you can’t recognize when you are wrong. You have to know when to humble yourself.
Your Nana love you boy. She was there from the beginning. She supported me in every move that I made when it came to you. That’s how she won my heart. What can I say about Shanna? She got up in the wee hours of the night to change your stinky diapers, fed you, and rocked you to sleep when you were in your crying stage. Only a month old and she was there for you.
You have been such a joy to me, and everyone that you’ve come in contact with thus far. I am so proud of you and so glad that you are my son. I love you with all my soul. I now have you 3 days out of a week for the last past year. I don’t know what the future will bring but I do know that what ever it is, I hope that the things I do add to your life and equip you with the necessary tools to become a fine man and will assist you to be productive in life. Son, do not just exist in this world. Live life to the fullest. Be safe when taking chances. Life is full of risk. By all means take them but be careful. Think before acting. Reason instead of jumping to conclusions. You are a Herron and there is a lot to be said about that. Stand proud and with your head held high. Be consistent. And when you need to make a decision, STOP.
To stand still result in the settlement of mind
The settlement of mind into tranquility
Tranquility into wholesome thinking
And wholesome thinking into Great Accomplishments.
Then make your decision.
Sex. Be safe son. HIV is real. Get pussy, no doubt, but rap it up. Know that every time you have sex you gamble with getting a girl pregnant or passing or receiving an STD (sexual transmitted disease). AIDs is real. It will kill you and it is here in ND and all over America. I want you to have children; I know that you will be a good daddy too. But if you have a kid before you are old enough to care for him/her then circumstances may not allow for the best care for your kid. Think about this very seriously. Life is precious and a parent’s role is crucial to a child’s development and status in later life. I’m saying if you and the girls you date are sexually involved and you are not in a position to take care of a baby, that put your child at risk, possibly even danger. Be responsible when it come to sex. If you do get a girl pregnant, own up to your responsibility, no matter what the circumstance. Your child is your child. Be the man.
This letter is just a brief overview of some of the things I want to share with you. There is so much more to be said but this kind of sum up the surface of some of the issues I feel is important to your upbringing. Remember, I love you with all that I am and I am here for you. I am your father, your daddy. No one has your best interest at heart more then me and no one love you more then me and your mom. In my heart I can’t imagine a stronger LOVE then mine. Because mine is infinite.
Always your Daddy,
Robert Lloyd Herron
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