Truly Appreciative: 25/25

Dear Mom,

As I have completed each of my letters, I have noticed that some a different shape than others. My letter to President Obama didn’t end up saying at all what I thought it would while my letter to Leslie Acton said everything I hoped. With your letter being the last of my 25, I only hope I can find the words that carry the weight of son showing his appreciation for his mother’s love.

Thank you always being there for me. Thank you for caring for me through my struggles with nerves and anxiety, a minor issue looking back on my life, but one that only needed you around to be taken care of. Thank you for countless meals, which I took for granted until I moved away and had to prepare them myself. And thank you for supporting me through almost all of my decisions; without that support I would be nothing.

And most importantly, thank you for showing me how to be a hard-working, compassionate, caring Christian. Without your endless work in the church, that helped me find that church was my home away from home, I might not have the passion for youth work that I possess today.

As much as I am like Dad, I am also very much like you. I laugh at myself when I’m panicking to clean the apartment before friends are coming over or when I get frustrated with the kitchen not being clean.

Thank you, countless times, for being the best mom I could ever imagine. I only hope I am able to show my own children, my church, and my friends the kindness, generosity, hope, and faith that you have shown me.

Thank you, Mom.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

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This was the last of my twenty-five letters. It was also the hardest to write.

It's funny, when I started this project I knew exactly what my motivations were. But upon completion, I'm not sure what they were at all. It might not be the proper response, but I almost cringe as various thank yous and signs of returned-appreciation (including an autographed copy of John Mayer's Battle Studies) have come my way. However rude it may be to react that way, I'm grateful that I know that I didn't do this project to recieve any gratitude.

As I look out the window of my office, I am unable to say what comes next for me. With the completion of 'Truly Appreciative' behind me, I'm going to continue living in Nashville, working where I work, loving the church I attend and serve, and thanking the Lord for every blessing in my life.

Thank you.

Truly Appreciative: 24/25

Dear Dad,

Until now, these letters have been fairly “easy” to write. Most of the persons or groups on my list impacted my life in a specific way; one event or moment. But trying to capture the influence of a father on a son in one letter is practically impossible.

You have been the single biggest influence in my life. 70% of me is you (I’ve approximated). Until a few years ago, that bothered me. It didn’t bother me because I’m not proud of you or because there are inherited qualities I don’t appreciate, it bothered me because every boy wants to be their own man.

I have greatly enjoyed our evolving relationship in the past five or six years. Since I realized what good music sounds like, since I realized what an absolute joy it is working in the church, and since I moved to Nashville, our times spent together have been very special.

I’m not sure an evening could have been more perfect than the Roger Daltrey and Eric Clapton concert here. That memory is only surpassed by the times spent in the backyard playing catch or shooting hoops.

Thank you for everything you have done for me, my friends, my faith, and the rest of our family. It might still shock me when I do something exactly the way you would, but there is no one I would rather be. I only hope I am able to show a portion of the kindness, compassion, humor, and love you have shown me.

Thank you, Dad.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

Truly Appreciative: 23/25

Dear Jeff and Sarah,

My favorite thing about going home is spending time with the whole family. Being able to sit back and realize that no matter how far away we live or how our interests and passions have changed, we always revert back to being children when we’re together. We are a mother, a father, two brothers, and a sister.

The two of you helped shape me into the person I am today as much as anyone in this world. The three of us are all so different, yet so similar, and our different strengths help mask another’s weaknesses. For that reason and many, many others, we are truly family.

Thank you, both, for helping me learn to be compassionate, kind, generous, funny, and loyal. Being able to have an older brother walk ahead of you and a fearless younger sister behind you made life much more enjoyable for me.

I look forward to seeing where the future takes each of us, as the past and present have already taken us so far. I am overwhelmingly proud to call each of you my brother and sister.

Thank you, many, many times over for all you have done for me.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

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Jeff is my older brother and Sarah is my younger sister. Sarah, a graduate of Ball State University, is a preschool teacher in Indiana and Jeff, an alumnus of Indiana State University, works for Room in the Inn in Nashville.

Truly Appreciative: Almost there...

As I near the end of 25 Truly Appreciative letters, I couldn't help but look back and wonder what my true motivation was for the project. For people that know me, they know I am not an outwardly emotional person; I haven't cried in almost ten years and could probably count on two hands the people that I've said, "I love you," to in my life. And for that reason, I had to do this.

I had to tell the people that mean the most to me how special they are. I have all these dreams and aspirations in my head, yet could I ever accomplish one of them if I'm not able to tell someone what they mean to me? And as the letters have shown, it's almost never a mushy I love you that I wanted to say. It's showing my thankfulness, my appreciation, for what these persons have done for me.

Looking through my list, five of the letters were to my closest family members, fourteen (not including family) were to people affiliated with the Presbyterian church, two were associated with Major League Baseball, two with John Mayer (included John himself), one with politics, and another with education.

That is my life in a nutshell: family, friends, baseball, music, and faith.

I have three letters left to write this week. One to my mother, one to my father, and one to my brother and sister. I've known from the beginning that these would be three of the hardest to write and saved them until now for that reason. Not only does telling them how much they mean make me anxious, but receiving any kind of response makes me even more anxious (I told you I wasn't emotional...).

I won't miss spending twenty or more minutes each day crafting a letter saying things I have never said before. I won't miss spending money on stamps and envelopes. I certainly won't miss the anxious thrill of dropping each letter in the mailbox, knowing that there was no going back once I let go. But I will miss the time it took to craft my list of twenty-five.

Twenty-five individuals, groups, and organizations that have influenced me more than they realize: a high school teacher from Indiana, a guitar player from Connecticut, four pastors, two churches, countless friends, the families of baseball legends, a best friend, an aunt and uncle, a brother and sister, a grandmother, and a mother and father.

I am truly appreciative. Thank you, all.

Truly Appreciative: 22/25

Dear Grandma,

There have been very few people in my life that have had as much of a direct influence on me as you and Grandpa. The two of you showed me what family truly is. No matter how distant a cousin, or not even related at all, someone might be, the two of you always cared for the whole family.

Grandpa was the strongest man I’ve ever known, both physically and mentally. I will never forget one of the days when he had a doctor’s appointment and I had to lift him from his wheelchair. His eyes showed his weakness, but his grip was still as strong as ever. That was the most surreal moment of my life and the moment I truly became a man in our family.

You are caring, generous, and everything I could ask for in a grandmother. Thank you for all of the support, compassion, and generosity throughout all the years. And thank you for showing me what family really is; I appreciate it all more than you know.

I hope this letter finds you well. You know that you if you ever need anything, I’ll be there for you. Thank you many, many times over.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

__________________

Grandma is grandma. Need I say more?

Truly Appreciative: 21/25

Dear John,

From the days of my earliest memories, I can not recall a time where there wasn’t a guitar around. When my brother, sister, and I were little, we would strum Dad’s guitars while he played the chords to our favorite songs. He listened to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Tears for Fears; always pointing out guitar riffs and horn sections that I never would have noticed or cared about without him there.

Because he loved guitars and the blues, I, being his son, wanted nothing to do with either of them. And then I heard your music.

Room for Squares opened my eyes to a world of music, really good music, that I had no idea existed. Your music, as you have said many times, was my gateway to Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, and my father’s beloved Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Your music helped me appreciate the music I had heard throughout my entire life, but never bothered to listen to. Your music helped me pick up the guitar and learn how to play after years of resistance to my father wanting me to learn. And your music has brought me new friends. Thank you.

Through my love of guitars and the blues, my relationship with my father is better than it might have been otherwise. When I am home, we show one another what we learned on the guitar recently. We have gone to see Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Buddy Guy, BB King, and Joe Bonamassa together. Those moments have given us time together that define love.

I hope this finds you and your family well. Thank you for all you have done for me, my friends, my family, and for the music we love.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

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John Mayer is my favorite musician. I have been listening to his music for almost nine years now. His music helped the world of music I knew go from black and white to color.

Truly Appreciative: 20/25

Dear Kyle,

From my first Sunday in Nashville, when you walked up after church and exclaimed, “Is this him?!?” to the Sunday when you left for college, when you left church with tears in your eyes, you have been one of my best friends in Nashville. Thank you for your friendship.

Not only have you been a friend, you have been a role model for both me and many others. Your passion for justice, peace, and equality runs so very deep; I envy that passion. Your confidence and willingness to take risks makes you who you are. Thank you for showing me the way I want to live life.

I hope school is going well. You and your family have helped make my time in Nashville fantastic. I hope I am able to return the kindness.

Thank you for helping make my transition to Nashville easier. Thank you for helping make my work with the youth at Second Presbyterian a joy. Thank you for your respect. And, of course, thank you for your friendship.

Truly appreciative,



Brian J. Moles

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Kyle was in my youth group for my first two years in Nashville and is now a freshman in college. He is like my little brother. Him and his family are the lifeblood of our church.