Elton John Celebrates 75th Birthday With Emotional Letter to His Sons

Elton John used the occasion of his recent 75th birthday to write an open letter published in Timeto his sons Zachary and Elijah, expressing his love for them while also imparting some timely advice for living life to its fullest.

"You're 11 and 9 years old now, and when I was your age, I could never have dreamed where life would take me," John wrote to Zachary and Elijah in the letter. "Looking back over the past 75 years, there is so much I am proud of, so much I have learned. As you are the two most precious parts of my life, I want to share some of those lessons with you."

John began by encouraging his children to embrace themselves and live according to their true identities.

"When I was young, I was told to fit in, to do what others expected even when it didn't feel right. Now I realize I can only be me," John continued, telling his sons how staying true to himself helped him forge valuable friendships, find his true love, and start his family.

"Whoever you grow up to be, just be you -- fully and completely you," John advised.

John also encouraged his children to "build bridges, not walls" with the people they meet.

"I've played to billions of people in my career and had the joy of meeting many thousands of them," John continued. "Most people -- gay, straight, Black, white, rich, or poor -- all want some basic things in life: to be safe, respected, loved, and free. But we live in a world today where too often, instead of embracing diversity, we shut it down."

He spoke of his work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and how they have helped folks living with HIV who have been "shamed, stigmatized, and harshly judged - or even worse, ignored."

"By opening a dialogue, we have opened hearts and minds, and turned the tide on the AIDS pandemic," the superstar singer and father went on.

John's final lesson to Zachary and Elijah was simple.

"Give back," John wrote. "Service to something bigger than yourself is the most rewarding thing you will ever do. This world is unequal and unfair, and it's on us to make it better."

There was one final, yet unspoken lesson to be learned from John's letter, and it's the incredible love for his family that is woven in every word in his letter to Zachary and Elijah, how the trappings of fame cannot compare to the warmth that comes from a truly loving family.

"I have had an incredibly fortunate 75 years. I've had my share of adventures, and I'll tell you about some of the wilder ones another time," John wrote in the letter. "But know this: the most rewarding journey in my life has been the one I began 12 years ago with your Papa, when we decided to start a family."

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