If you were to write me a letter with no restraints, what would you say?

If every single thing inked onto the pages were true, what truths would you choose?

Am I everything you dreamed I’d be?

Does my image reflect what you perceive to be a masterpiece?

Most importantly, are you proud of me?

I know there was an expectation,

I remember it vaguely.

I remember you laying out your goals for me,

and now that I’m twenty,

are you proud of me?

I remember your kindergarten drawings of the physical,

rippling muscles and a blonde beard,

not a bad mold to try to fill.

Remember when you prayed for me? For a man that was loved and respected?

Remember when you asked God what you needed to do in order to shape me into a man after

His own heart?

Well, sorry to disappoint but,

I think I failed you.

I’m a work in progress, OK! Back off!

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.

Don’t worry, I’m not an angry person.

It’s just that you don’t understand what I have to face every day.

The world is a different place from the one you know.

Life isn’t always going to be Star Wars Battlefront 2 and ice cream.

You’re going to step in some crap and you can’t just leave your shoes on the step and wait for

Mom to clean them off for you.

Your words mean something. When you speak, people listen.

Use that.

Simple sentences are worthless.

If you’re going to steal someone’s attention,

make it count.

Standing on top of a mountain is “amazing” and so is Dr. Pepper, so know what your

words mean.

Be careful. Say what you mean

and mean what you say.

You’re going to have to change the way you see things if you’re going to be proud of

me.

Perspective is everything. You’ll learn that soon enough.

Despite what you believe, 11-year-olds don’t know everything about the world yet.

I guess what I really wanted to know is,

am I proud of me?

Because you and I are no longer the same person.

Give Mom and Dad a hug for me, tell them I love them more than they will ever know and treat

Cole like he’s worth everything to you because you will soon realize that he is.

“Brother” beats “friend.”

He is both.

You can’t do this life on your own; God is going to strengthen you more than you know and

you’ll still fail.

Don’t worry though.

You’ll turn out alright.

With love,

Seth Winton (nine years from now)

I read a poster in a math class I took in middle school that said, “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” This is my go to when my friends and I are jokingly telling each other clichés to “motivate” one another. That being said, you should really dress for the job you want, not the job you have. I am currently wearing a firefighter’s hat and holding woodworking tools in one hand with a stethoscope around my neck as I write this because that’s the job I want. Dr. Seth Winton, woodworking firefighter surgeon, nice to meet you. All kidding aside, I was thinking about that “shoot for the moon” cliché earlier this morning and decided that there are some areas in my life where I would be content to “land among the stars” and some I wouldn’t. In this case, I’m considering “landing among the stars” as being the average level of a thing and “hitting the moon” as being exceptional. Maybe that’s not what the phrase means, but for the sake of this article please just go along with me. After all, you should trust me, I’m a doctor.

When I was a kid, I had many different dream jobs. My most long term dream was probably to attend Vanderbilt University and become an anesthesiologist. (Fun fact, I typed that perfectly on my first try, true story, no auto correct or anything.) Since that initial dream, I decided that I’d rather be a nurse anesthetist (dang, didn’t get that one first try) and by the time college rolled around, Vanderbilt dream long in the rearview mirror, I decided the medical field wasn’t right for me. If you consider a pre-med major the moon and a business marketing major the stars, then I am fine to land among the stars; I’m happier here. Again, if stars are being the average level of something, then I would be ecstatic to land among them in musical ability. I can fumble my way through a simplified version of Fur Elise that took me six months to learn and that’s about it. There are some areas in life, though, where missing the moon is not an option to me.

“Remember when you prayed for me? For a man that was loved and respected?

Remember when you asked God what you needed to do in order to shape me into a man after

His own heart?”

Being a man after God’s own heart is a non-negotiable and a task where every day I strive to inch closer and closer to the moon. “Hitting the moon” in this aspect would be becoming the man God has made me to be. This includes leading my family as a husband and father one day if I am blessed with a family of my own, using my career as a way to serve Him, and, in general, aiming to look more and more like Christ each day. What exactly does that mean? The last few sentences drift dangerously close to the cliché category I mentioned earlier. My first article, “The Obituary of Man”, discussed some of the attributes that make godly manhood. Also, we are given a beautiful picture in scripture that says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27. Whether you’re a man of faith or not, loving your wife as Christ loved the church is an incredible standard to hold yourself to.

“Give Mom and Dad a hug for me, tell them I love them more than they will ever know, and treat Cole like he’s worth everything to you because you will soon realize that he is.

‘Brother’ beats ‘friend.’

He is both.”

My family, both current and future, are incredible gifts. This is an area in my life where I demand the moon. I have a father who loves, supports, and leads me by example. I have a mother who loves me, loves my friends, and encourages me constantly. I have parents who love each other and are incredible examples of a husband and wife relationship. I have a brother who is a close friend, sharer of infinite inside jokes, and inspiration. To do anything other than love them as well as possible, be thankful for them, and try to give them my support and encouragement, would be unacceptable. I also pray often for my future wife and children. I know that if I am blessed enough to get married and have kids that I will have a huge responsibility as a husband, father, and leader that I will gladly carry with joy. By saying “I demand the moon” here, I am trying to say that I strive for wisdom, love, patience, discipline, and strength beyond my own. If I am going to “hit the moon”, I’ll need help, and I pray that as time goes on, I don’t become too arrogant to ask for it.

“You’re going to have to change the way you see things if you’re going to be proud of me.

Perspective is everything. You’ll learn that soon enough.”

I guess the point of this article is to find a clever way to say, “Get your priorities straight.” There are things in this life that matter and things that don’t. I’m a 20-year-old college student so sometimes it’s hard to get outside my own little world and prioritize but I truly believe it is important for all of us to do. Maybe I am just going to end up using this medium as a way of sharing my inner ramblings. Just stick with me to find out. In the meantime, always remember, laughter is the best medicine, the early bird catches the worm, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, a picture is worth a thousand words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder , and when the going gets tough, the tough get going.