Prologue
from
Letters from Home
Thoughts to Carry with You Upon Leaving the Nest

Discover the drive behind the inspirational book, Letters from Home, and learn how and why this average father came up with this easy to read formatted glossary of life.

After the passing of my father in 2005, I found my mind reflecting on the many things I wished I had asked him while he was living—simple things, like “If you could have done anything in your life differently, Pop, what would it have been?” or “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be?” and “If you have any one piece of advice to help me achieve happiness in my life, what would you tell me?” Unfortunately, we never had the kind of relationship early in my life where I felt comfortable asking him these questions, and once I did, it was too late. You see, by the time we became close enough as father and son, I had moved off to begin my life as an individual, which soon led to having a family of my own. Not long after, my father suffered a major stroke, which ailed him until his dying day, making conversation with him very difficult. And I began regretting not having more patience and taking the time to ask him what he had learned during his eighty-four years of living experience. Later I began to wonder how my son would remember me, especially if I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my life, leaving him as a young man with many unanswered questions. Have I told him enough about the real world out there? Would he know what is really important in life rather than trivial? Does he really know me?

I often find it difficult to talk to my son about life. When is the right time to talk about a particular subject? Is he really interested in what I have to say? Does he still believe in Santa? Then one fall day while walking the family dog, a thought occurred to me. I will write my son a letter for him to read in case something unexpectedly happens to me, so he will know me a little better and will know how I felt about and lived life. Suddenly, I became overwhelmed. How in the world would I write such a letter? There are so many things to say! Where would I start, and how would it end? Would not a letter like that just turn into a collection of incoherent sentences? My inner voice told me that it must be organized in some way, and it must be easy to read. I didn’t want to burden my son with some maze of a letter overloaded with the guilt of not spending enough time with him. I wanted something he could refer to anytime he needed a quick reminder of what his father thought on some subject, even if his father was mistaken. Thus the idea for Letters from Home was born. I decided to use simple key words to discuss things I have learned as an average joe during my first forty-odd years, through my humble experiences, and through my interactions with others. I would organize the key words alphabetically and attempt to create an enjoyable read. Obviously some subjects were easier to discuss than others, and some I knew more about than others. So what do I do about the subjects I know little about? Well, maybe if I live long enough, I can research those subjects with him.

Later another thought occurred to me. I know I am not the only parent that struggles every day to talk to their child about life. Even the simple things are tough, and there never seems to be enough time. Well then, it was settled. I would write a book! So let’s begin our journey through the alphabet of life with words that begin with the letter A!