Striving daily to be a dedicated and loving father should be the priority of all whom are afforded the privilege. It is mine, though I admit to my limitations. Fathers are prone to make mistakes. While regrettable, failures are inevitable. I do, however, work to evolve as a father, and constantly make efforts to improve. Sometimes I succeed. More often, I digress. Each day there is one constant. Regardless of whether I have done well or poorly, whether I am in good spirits or bad, an immense love for you burns within me.

Should I die tomorrow what of my life would hold any enduring value to you? The sound of my voice, words I have spoken, memories of our experiences together, in time these things will be misremembered and eventually forgotten. After I have disappeared from this world what part of me, what product of my existence, what rendering of my soul, will remain? 

There is, of course, each of you. The result of your mother’s and my existence and therefore proof that we have lived. Pocahontas, on her deathbed, is rumored to have said, “All must die, it is enough that their child lives.” A child is a parent’s most significant contribution. That contribution can be a gift to the world, of minimal consequence, or a blight. 

Because your mother and I have brought you into this beautiful and mad world, it is our responsibility to impart to you certain values that may encourage you to live a well-examined and meaningful life, a life that assists in some small way in making the world a better place. To make an impact, however small, while living contently and with gratitude, that is our wish for you.