This letter is for you, my children. First and foremost know that I love you with all of my heart and all of my being, always, now more than ever, regardless of when or where this letter finds you. My heart is bursting with pride at who you are and who you’ll become. I want you to courageously explore the world around you so you can steadily shape the world you live in. You will need to be the healthiest version of yourself possible, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I want you to have a plan for how you make decisions and for how you solve problems. Always substitute suffering and meaning for fairness and justice because suffering and meaning actually exist. Success of any kind is not a mystery, it is well placed effort and discomforting work. Only compete with yourself and remember it is better to love and care for the person next to you than it is to blame and hate them. That will sap your dignity. Never get into a hurry and if you must panic, panic later. You will need to take risks, but only calculated risks that have the possibility of reward. Risk, for the sake of risk itself, is for fools. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to cry, to yell, to fall, or to pull yourself up with broken arms only to stand on broken legs. I have traveled farther on broken bones, than rested ones. I am your father and you are like me. Good and bad. It’s up to you to sort that out. Just know that I love you in an extraordinary and inexplicable way now and for eternity. When you need me, look for me. I’ll make sure I am there for you in one form or another. I love you, I am proud of you, and I am here for you. One final thought. You may wake up one day on the frontline of a war you didn’t start, so always have your fight ready. 

Love, Dad

01/03/2019

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