you must promise me that the words you speak will give goosebumps to the ears of the people they flow through as they are succumbed with nothing but truth. i need you to impact their lives because some of them are parents to brilliant children who can't embrace their curiosity because their mothers only know how to say "my rules, if you live under my roof".

you shall tell no lies, even when you are for certain that the mangled sentences you soak in are drenched in false circumstances. no matter what those plastic barbie girls say, achieving your dreams is more important than being queen at one of those high school dances.

when pain whips your back like that of a slave, you must promise me to look forward no matter how dark and dim your future may seem through your eyes. when you get a scholarship to harvard or even a chance to go to the best art school in the country, don't you let it come to you as a surprise.

when the vibrancy of life seems lost, you will fight on until you are sitting on a throne. make sure that the things you teach to your children are worth learning so they teach their kids when they're grown.

when you become successful after a life of hard work, you must promise me that the words you speak will give goosebumps to the ears of the people they flow through as they are succumbed with nothing but truth. even then, people will ask how you pulled-through and you'll have photos, diplomas, and a genuine smile to use as proof when they do.