His name is Ian, and he is my third born son; squashed between two ridiculously successful older brothers and a princess, he has been forced to come into his own swinging. Armed with his intense focus, a brain that would make grown men cry and a touch of creativity that will leave you shaking with laughter, awe and tears all in the same breath – Ian is a masked man. Looking at him, you would see a young man who stands well over six feet tall with a scruff of a beard and what could be construed as an attitude, and then he opens his mouth, writes a story or tells you a joke and your world is transformed.

When Ian was two, he used to speak to me about going home to where the birdies lived. I regularly told him we were home, and he would adamently deny that our birdies were no where near as pretty as the “real” birdies, and they weren’t as friendly either.  I was a bit freaked out.

Fast forward ten years, and Ian began to write stories, share his soul and draw with a pencil. The boy is a genius. This is the kid who wants to name his first son Houston so whenever he is in trouble he can look at him and say, “Houston, we have a problem.” This is the boy who loves his computer more than his sister, but is regularly seen carrying her books into class so that she can balance the drum on her hip while holding her science project in the other hand. This is the boy, who’s best friend is Jewish (we are German) and took the time to write said friend and his family an apology letter on behalf of our ancestors for the harm we may have brought to “his people.” Trust me when I tell you, THESE ARE NOT THINGS I TAUGHT HIM.

Ian once chose his oldest brother to be his Valentine, and invited him to school (Erik was 10, Ian 6) for Valentine’s Day and read him a poem that he had written about how fabulous a brother he was in front of the entire class.

This boy sends me texts that read like this:

Ian: Where are you?
Me: In my office, where are you? (yes, we text up and down the stairs, don’t judge)!
Ian: Well, I couldn’t find you and I was worried sick that you had been kidnapped or worse!
Me: Sorry I worried you.
Ian: The only thing that can possibly make up for it is if you let me, wait for it, buy a super computer AND build my latest restaurant idea – you know that one were I am going to stuff cheese in the crust of a calzone and call it Cheese’s Crust? Yea, okay, maybe a bit sacreligious, but I bet you laughed!

This is the boy who won first place for athletics and academics in the same school year AND was voted most artistic for his pencil drawings.

This is a boy who knows no fear. This is a boy I want all of you to learn from – he believes the world is his for the taking. He is humble, but aware. Smart, but kind. Anxious to make his first million so he can share it with those he loves. Most importantly, this is a masked man – a mere 14 year old kid with a dream. Remeber having them? Remember dreaming?

I want my Ian to never be knocked down, to never give up on being the owner of MayerCorp – a company that specializes in computer design animation and fun. He has already secured the domain name, the email and the ability to copyright things under MayerCorp when the time comes. He is prepared.

This is my Ian. I am willing to bet it was many of you. Don’t lose sight of those dreams. Don’t stop believing, and then, I, too, can go on believing that Ian will become the owner of Cheese’s Crust and MayerCorp – big brothers and princess be damned!