A Letter Never Addressed

Dear Son,

I Love You.

It is with this love that I

Write to you this letter, but

Mere words cannot contain the breadth of my affections for you.

With the deepest and purest love I write,

And with this love I also send to you

In this envelope wisdom.

You, my son, have the strength to become a great man.

Have the courage to use this strength.

Be like the pioneers of old

Who intrepidly traversed the unknown country.

Be like the warrior, afraid of nothing, sure of himself.

Be thoughtful of those around you,

But forget not yourself.

Hear everyone, but listen to few.

Have courage to think.

Have courage to act.

Have courage to change.

Have courage to stand resolute.

Have courage to love.

Have courage to follow love wherever it may lead.

Do not timidly follow, but rather chase after it.

Pursue it to the depths with a passion that can fill them.

Hunt it with the desire and determination of the consuming fire of hunger.

Grasp on to it and never let go, whatever it may be.

Find it and never stray far, wherever it may go.

And after having it, be enraptured by it.

Let it take you to a new palace of gold and ivory,

Or a land where all is green and soft.

This is my main advisement, that you should know the importance of love.

Have courage to feel.

Every man has emotions, so have no shame of yours.

In every tear, in every elated cry,

Revel in it.
Be present in your emotions; not changed by them, but alive in them.

Have courage to stand among your convictions.

The world is like an open plain swept by the winds of ideals and standards.

Be not like the weeds that sway in the breeze,

But like the rock face that stands unmoving.

No matter what the world may say, be what you know is right.

Truth never changes, only man’s opinions.

Have courage to take a risk.

He who takes all risks is a fool,

But he who takes none is likewise.

Be wise in your chances, plan for all but take few:

For with no risk is little reward.

Have courage to create.

There is no greater joy known to me than that of creation:

To pour oneself into a great work,

To pour one’s self into a great work.

With every creation comes the chance of rejection, the fear of vulnerability,

But have courage.

Have courage to fight.

Fight for something worth defending.

Have courage to grow,

As we grow from our mistakes.

Have courage to hope,

For hope is the greatest of encouragements.

Have courage to admire:

Admire the beauty of the world

With its lush forests and wide oceans,

With its mighty sun and enchanting stars,

With its towering mountains and stretching sky.

Admire the people of the world

In all their faults and admirations,

In all their differences and similarities,

In all their humanity.

Have courage to lead,

Have courage to discover,

And have courage to remember.

Heed my words, for in these I impart all I know for an honorable life.

I would that I could see you in your manhood,

But seeing I must part untimely before your coming,

I leave this wisdom for you,

And the hope to see you someday in a land beyond the setting sun—

Among the stars.

With Love,